According to the South African Veterinary Association (SAVA), several deaths have been reported in the Eastern Cape this year due to rabies.
The message needs to be shared with a sense of urgency that rabies is 100% preventable with the correct treatment. Victims either do not seek treatment, delay treatment, or do not complete the required course.
Rabies is a zoonotic disease, meaning that it is passed from infected animals to humans – dogs and cats are the main sources of transmission through their saliva.
Once a victim is bitten by a rabid dog there is a dramatic effect on the brain and once clinical signs become visible, there is no curative treatment – it is FATAL.
Should a person get bitten by an animal and there is reason to suspect rabies from the animal’s behavior and history (e.g. not vaccinated), the South African Veterinary Association (SAVA) urges patients to wash the wound well with soap and running water for 15 minutes. Thereafter seek immediate (within 24hrs) medical treatment at their nearest medical facility.
If you are bitten, scratched or licked by a suspected rabid animal, please contact the Eastern Cape Health Department.
— SAVA (@SAVetAsso) May 16, 2022
Call centre: 0800 032 364 | SMS 34010 |
Eastern Cape Premium Hotline: 080 121 2570#Rabies #EndRabiesNow #SAVArabies pic.twitter.com/Yc9p4zt3Jn
For any further information or to report a suspected rabies-infected animal, please call:
Eight deaths have been reported due to rabies in the Eastern Cape this year alone according to the South African Veterinary Association (SAVA).
For more information, please visit the South African Veterinary Association (SAVA) website, Facebook or Twitter page.
