SA'ns warned about rabies disease this holiday season

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has alerted residents and holiday travelers to be aware of rabies in high-risk areas in the country.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rabies is a preventable viral disease often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The virus infects the central nervous system of mammals. It ultimately causes disease in the brain – and death.

The CDC reports that most cases occur in wild animals like bats and foxes, although any mammal can get rabies.

In South Africa, rabies is common in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces. High-risk areas include the Free State and Lesotho. The Department is urging the public to not approach, touch or pick up stary dogs and cats from these areas for any purpose.

How do you catch rabies?

People are encouraged to report stray animals to local welfare authorities, and support such organisations. “When picking up stray animals and homing them, you could aid the spread of rabies to other areas and provinces and put your life and that of your family at risk,” warns the Department, “remember that rabies may occur anywhere in South Africa and therefore avoid the handling of animals that you do not know.”

Any mammal can become infected with rabies, but the biggest threat are infected dogs and cats. The World Health Organisation shares the following key tips:

Rabies is a vaccine-preventable viral disease which occurs in more than 150 countries and territories.
Dogs are the main source of human rabies deaths, contributing up to 99% of all rabies transmissions to humans.
Infection causes tens of thousands of deaths every year, mainly in Asia and Africa.
40% of people bitten by suspect rabid animals are children under 15 years of age.
Immediate, thorough wound washing with soap and water after contact with a suspect rabid animal is crucial and can save lives.

Reggie Ngcobo, spokesperson from the Department says, “rabies is a very serious, mostly fatal zoonotic disease, meaning that it can be passed from infected animals to
humans.”

An infected animal transmits the disease through biting, scratching or licking a person. In animal and humans, the disease affects the brain. Once clinical signs become apparent, there is no curative treatment – it becomes 100% fatal.

disease

The initial symptoms of rabies are similar to flu. It includes fever, muscle weakness and tingling. There may be a burning sensation at the bite site. According to Healthline, there are two different types of rabies: furious rabies and paralytic rabies.

Furious rabies – hyperactive, erratic behaviour

insomnia
agitation
confusion
hallucinations
foaming at the mouth
fear of water

Paralytic rabies – slow, coma

takes longer to set in
people slowly become paralysed
slipping into an eventual coma – and then death
only 20% of cases are paralytic

How can you prevent the disease?

This is a preventable disease.

vaccinate your pets
keep your pets from roaming outside
avoid contact with wild animals
prevent bats from entering the living space
get a rabies vaccine before travelling

The Department cautions, “if you suspect that you have been exposed to an animal that may have rabies, it is critically important to wash the wound very well with soap under running water and to immediately seek preventative treatment at your nearest healthcare facility. Doing this can save your life!”