Africa-Press – Mozambique. At least 203 people died over the past five years in Mozambique after being bitten by rabid dogs and other pets animals.
These figures were made public on Wednesday (28), in the town of Chimoio, capital of the central Manica province, by the inspector general of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Rui Mapatse, during the World Rabies Day celebrations.
Of this figure, 23 died last year out of a total of 106 dog bites reported across the country. According to Mapatse, in the first half of this year, another 18 people died of rabies nationwide, out of a total of 1,054 bites recorded from January to June of the current year.
The date was also marked by the launch of a vaccination campaign against rabies in dogs, cats, monkeys and other pets, which can transmit the viral disease.
“The figures are worrying because that the disease is still causing many deaths. It is important for dog and pet owners, which can transmit the disease, to assume a more responsible behaviour. They also should know that unvaccinated pet animals put in danger the entire community”, he said,
“Vaccinate your dog or other pets causing rabies at least once a year. We want to eradicate the disease by the year 2030”, urged Mapatse.
He also called the population, especially pet owners, to massively join the vaccination campaigns as a way of preventing human rabies and further unnecessary deaths.
“This is an effort from the government to prevent rabies from becoming a major deadly within the community. This activity is taking will place nationwide and some brigades have already been set up and will be deployed soon across the districts. We have also set up fixed and mobile vaccination posts”, said the inspector-general.
He added that, “more than vaccinating, we also need to keep an eye on our pets. Pet owners have to ensure they are in safe places and prevent them from leaving your homes and cause panic in people. They are pets, so we need to take care of them,” he warned.
Data from the World Organisation for Animal Health indicates that, annually in the world, rabies is responsible for about 60,000 human deaths and, in the vast majority of cases, dogs are the source of infection.
The symptoms of canine rabies present different stages in the human body.
Rabies evolves over time and the symptoms may also change. There is the so-called furious phase and then the so-called paralytic rabies, in which neurological symptoms are accentuated, such as difficulty swallowing, salivation, lack of limb coordination and even paralysis.
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