ICYMI: North West goes all in to fight rabies

In a bid to protect animal health across the province and country, the North West department of agriculture and rural development has launched a mass rabies vaccination campaign just yesterday. Here are some details

A mass campaign to get animals in North West vaccinated against rabies has kicked off yesterday (Thursday, 1 September 2022). The province’s department of agriculture and rural development is leading the rollout and will be targeting pet owners to prevent rabies cases across the province.

In an announcement sent out this week, the department says that its theme for this year’s campaign is “Zero by 30: Our catalytic response.”

This is part of the worldwide target of eliminating dog-mediated rabies deaths in humans by the year 2030.

“Although rabies is 100% preventable, it is estimated that at least 59 000 people die annually from rabies. That is one person every nine minutes of every day, 40% of whom are children living in Africa and Asia,” the department say.

Officials are now calling on pet owners across the province to be proactive and to take their pets to the nearest veterinary clinics for rabies vaccination.

More about the disease

This disease is caused by a virus that affects the nervous system and results in death. The virus can enter the body from the saliva of infected animals, either through a bite wound or direct contact with the victim’s mucous membranes. Even small nicks that break the skin or licks to the eyes, nose and mouth are regarded as exposure.

Clinical signs are associated with a dysfunctional nervous system. In animals, they are classified either as “dumb form” or “aggressive form”. In the dumb form, animals show signs of lethargy and later facial paralysis. In the aggressive form, animals show signs of extreme aggression and, as they get paralysed in the face, they tend to produce excessive saliva. Some animals may simply show hindquarter paralysis.

Experts say it is important for communities to note that all domestic animals and human beings are susceptible to rabies and that human beings are extremely susceptible to the disease.

Community members are further advised to report any suspicious human symptoms of rabies to any health facility in the province.

To get their animals vaccinated, residents of North West can contact these veterinary offices:

Ngaka Modiri Molema district: