Durban — Unnecessary deaths can be prevented if pet owners take responsibility for vaccinating their pets.
That was according to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development when commemorating World Rabies Day at Nkukhwini Sports Field in Nongoma, in northern KZN on Thursday.
Emphasis was placed on pet owners taking the responsibility of vaccinating their pets to prevent deaths.
The theme for this year’s World Rabies Day is ‘Rabies: All for 1, One Health for All’ with a strong emphasis on fostering collaboration, promoting equality, and fortifying our health systems.
The department said that at least 15 people in KZN had died since 2021, and between January and September 2023, the province has recorded four human-rabies-related deaths.
It said that the majority of those deaths occurred in eThekwini, and children aged between two and 13 years old were affected.
It added that last month, a 5-year-old boy from Nongoma was bitten by a stray dog. His family only took the child to a nearby hospital when he started displaying severe symptoms. He died upon arrival.
MEC Super Zuma pleaded with the community to vaccinate their pets to prevent more deaths.
Zuma said the contagious and dangerous viral disease was preventable and it was up to individuals to heed the call to vaccinate their pets.
“When pet owners have to take their pets for treatment of rabies, it is a clear indication of negligence. Why wait to treat rabies when you can prevent the disease by vaccinating?
“We visited the family of the child who died here in Nongoma and his father was in tears saying it would have been better if the child had been killed by their dog.
“We have freely available vaccinations to all pet owners throughout the province, but numbers are too low; a lot more pet owners should take advantage of the services provided to prevent both animal and human deaths,” Zuma said.
Northern KZN veterinarian Dr Cameron Kotwane said KZN was challenged and to raise vaccination numbers communal drives were vital.
“We want to mobilise communities and teach them about the dangers of the disease. It only takes applying precautions when you are beaten. You have to take care of the wound by ensuring that it is washed with soap under running water and you seek emergency treatment to ensure the manifestation of the disease,” Kotwane said.
Inkosi EB Zulu encouraged the community to heed the call from the department to vaccinate their pets.
“It is important that we do as we are being advised by experts to keep our families safe. We have to be vigilant of all the symptoms that have been mentioned so that we may be able to take necessary action to prevent unnecessary deaths,” Inkosi Zulu said.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases said that rabies was a zoonotic disease, which means that it can be transmitted from animals to humans. The virus is only transmitted from human to human in exceptional circumstances. It is caused by a virus which affects the brain and nearly always causes death. This virus is typically found in an infected animal's saliva, which may contaminate wounds or enter the body through breaks in the skin.
“In South Africa, domestic dogs are the most common source of infection, but other animals like domestic cats, mongooses, jackals, and various wild animals may also pose a risk to humans. This disease disproportionately impacts impoverished rural communities and children. Nearly half of all cases occurring in children under the age of 15 and from rural parts of South Africa,” the NICD said.
“As the international community comes together each year on the 28th of September to commemorate World Rabies Day, World Rabies Day raises awareness of the importance of rabies vaccination of domestic dogs (and cats) and to prevent human rabies cases following possible exposures through appropriate administration of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis.”
Meanwhile, Business Unit Lead: Companion Animals at Zoetis South Africa (Zoetis) Dr Tarryn Dent said: “Rabies is a dangerous zoonotic disease that is nearly 100% fatal once clinical symptoms manifest. Immediate treatment post-exposure is the only way to prevent the onset of the disease in humans, making awareness and quick action vital.
“The good news is that rabies is also preventable through widespread dog vaccinations, awareness campaigns, and early post-exposure prophylaxis following a bite or exposure to saliva from a suspected rabid animal before any symptoms manifest.”
Dent said that awareness was the most important thing we can achieve together: awareness around what to do if you’re bitten by a potentially rabid animal and why it’s so important to vaccinate pets.
“The WOAH (World Organisation for Animal Health) is clear that rabies can end through the widespread vaccination of dogs. We know that there are hundreds of thousands of stray dogs and wild animals across South Africa that can carry rabies, therefore vaccinating companion animals is still incredibly important,” Dent said.
“Keeping our pets healthy and protecting them from rabies through vaccination ensures their survival but it also stops the disease from spreading. If an infected animal bites a vaccinated animal, the disease can go no further.”
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