adminTinomuda Chakanyuka Sunday News Reporter
THE country is experiencing a nationwide shortage of the rabies vaccine, a situation that has incapacitated the Department of Veterinary Services in conducting regular vaccination exercises for dogs.
Midlands provincial veterinary officer, Dr Thomas Sibanda told Sunday News that lack of funds to procure the vaccine had led to a nationwide shortage.
Dr Sibanda said the shortage of the vaccine had seen the department resorting to office vaccinations where owners of dogs bring their animals for vaccinations.
Recently, two people, one of them a minor, died after being bitten by a rabid dog, while 69 cases of bites by suspected rabies-infected dogs were recorded in Nkayi district alone.
A foaming nine-year-old girl identified as Ulert Mpofu from Hojeni Village in Gwelutshena, Nkayi, died early last month — about 30 days after a rabid dog bit her on the arm.
The Department of Veterinary Services says, all things being equal, it should conduct vaccination campaigns twice a year in every province countrywide.
“The situation is not very good. We are experiencing shortages of vaccines for rabies for dogs and our current stocks only allow us to conduct office vaccinations. We do not have the capacity to conduct regular prevention campaigns where we move around vaccinating dogs against the disease.
“It is like this nationwide because really there is no money to procure enough vaccines to conduct intensive vaccinations,” Dr Sibanda said.
Dr Sibanda warned members of the public to stay away from stray dogs as they were likely not vaccinated against rabies.
He urged dog owners to assist the department by bringing their animals for vaccination to prevent the disease from spreading to human beings through dog bites.
“Right now we are encouraging members of the public to visit our provincial office and bring their dogs for routine vaccinations. This will help us in reducing rabies cases as well as prevent the disease from spreading to humans.
“A person can actually die from rabies if they contract it and do not get immediate medical attention. So to avoid such cases we urge dog owners to get their dogs vaccinated. Members of the public should also be on the look out for stray dogs. Those are likely to have rabies because there are slim chances those dogs might have been vaccinated,” he said.
Dr Sibanda said his department, which normally conducts vaccinations in April and December every year, last conducted vaccination campaigns in the Midlands province in May last year.
“Normally we should conduct vaccinations twice a year, in April and December of every year but because of the shortages we last conducted vaccinations in May last year. I can say ever since we adopted the multi-currency regime, we have not been able to procure enough vaccines.
“Since the past couple of years we have really not done a good job,” he said.
Rabies is a deadly virus that attacks the central nervous system and causes acute inflammation of the brain. It is transmitted from animals to humans, most commonly by animal bites.
In October last year over 400 cases of dog bites were recorded in one week countrywide, with the status of 363 dogs not being ascertained.
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