By Tovin Ngombe
Rabies has broken out in Sinazongwe district.
Sinazongwe District Veterinary officer Dr Ernest Ndalama said one of the two samples that were taken for testing to the Central Veterinary Research Institute in Lusaka on 24th April tested positive.
Dr Ndalama said one sample was taken from Sinazongwe Zambeef where a dog was reported to have indiscriminately beaten up other dogs while the other sample was taken from the fisheries residential camp.
He disclosed that the sample from the fisheries residential camp tested positive while the other one from Zambeef was negative.
The doctor said there has been an increase in the number of suspected rabies cases reported in the district from the health centres.
Dr Ndalama noted that there was a high number of dog population in the district adding that by law no person was allowed to keep more than three dogs.
He said that his office hopes to embark on vaccination programme and cropping of the dogs.
“The dog population is supposed to be controlled, one household is not supposed to have more than three dogs,†Dr Ndalama said.
The doctor explained that people owning dogs in the township were supposed to register them with the Local Authority and that a three months old dog was supposed to be taken for vaccination.
He reaffirmed that rabies affect both human beings and animals and the patient could die if not vaccinated on time.
“It is a disease of public concern, there is no treatment for it the only prevention is to vaccinate the affected person or animal on time and to quickly clean the wound if one has been beaten.
Dr Ndalama said human vaccination was expensive as it ranges from K300, 000 to K400, 000 while the animal vaccine was cheaper and it costs only K10, 000.
