FIVE CASES OF RABIES IN HUMANS REPORTED

Limpopo/ Eastern Cape – The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) has reported that there have been five confirmed cases of rabies in humans in South Africa to date in 2019; three from the Eastern Cape and two from Limpopo Province.

These have resulted in the deaths of two children.

Commenting on these rabies fatalities and cases, which were reported in the NICD’s latest Communicable Diseases Communiqué, Dr Pete Vincent of Netcare Travel Clinics and Medicross Tokai, said that they reiterate the importance of educating South Africans about this vaccine-preventable infectious disease, which is invariably fatal if it not managed and treated timeously and appropriately. 

“If you consider that, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), rabies is still responsible for close on 60,000 deaths globally every year, most of them occurring in Africa and Asia, then our track record of rabies prevention here in South Africa looks relatively impressive,” added Dr Vincent.

“Nevertheless, the threat of rabies, which is contracted from infected animals, is ever present, particularly in our rural areas where many pet dogs are not vaccinated against the virus. In addition, rabies is quite commonly reported among both wild and domestic animals in South Africa.” 

“Improved rabies awareness — including knowledge of what to do in the case of a bite from, or contact with, a rabid animal such as a dog — will go a long way towards assisting in protecting South Africans and our children from this disease.

It is important to be aware that a post-exposure prophylaxis vaccine and treatment is available to prevent the disease, but it must be administered appropriately and as soon as possible after exposure to rabies to be effective,” he added. 

There was a time when an individual who was bitten by an infected animal faced certain death. Today, however, people can be saved if they are treated timeously and properly.

Treatment must, however, commence within 24 hours, be correctly administered, and the full courses of prophylaxis be administered. In such a case, humans exposed to rabies will almost certainly not develop the disease.

For more information, contact 0860 NETCARE at 0860 638 2273.

Netcare Travel Clinics and Medicross press release extracts, 1 July 2019