Health experts call for vaccination of dogs to eliminate rabies

onnaedo

July 6, 2015 2:58 PM

About 60,000 people die from the viral infection each year and it is almost always caught from dog bites, with the majority of said deaths occurring in Asia and Africa.

___3943613___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___3943613___2015___7___6___15____82370622_suspected_rabid_dog_barking-spl

Health experts have said greater effort needs to be put into vaccinating dogs against rabies in order to save lives.

About 60,000 people die from the viral infection each year and it is almost always caught from dog bites, with the majority of said deaths occurring in Asia and Africa.

Based on this, the Global Alliance for Rabies Control said mass vaccination could "make rabies history" even as the organisation, HealthforAnimals argued protecting dogs was the most cost-effective way to protect people.

Rabies is present on every continent except Antarctica.

Once rabies symptoms develop it is nearly always fatal, although there is a brief window after a bite during which a vaccine can prevent the infection becoming deadly.

According to BBC, around 40% of those who are bitten are under 15 years of age.

Emphasising the need to vaccinate dogs, Carel du Marchie Sarvaas, executive director of the global animal medicines association, HealthforAnimals said the cost of vaccination was very cheap going for as little as $8 (about N1500).

Mr du Marchie Sarvaas said the most cost-effective and efficient way to prevent rabies was to vaccinate dogs.

Meanwhile, a mass vaccination programme in Bangladesh has halved the number of human deaths since 2011.

onnaedo