Vets: Rabies cases on the rise

Accra, June 12, GNA - Veterinary doctors are warning of serious rabies problems as the Accra Veterinary Laboratory alone diagnoses on average six to eight positive cases every month.

The veterinary experts say the current statistics for Greater Accra, coupled with figures recorded in the recent past, pose great concern that need urgent attention by government against the background that rabies can easily be prevented. Speaking at a news conference on Thursday in Accra, Dr. Kwasi Bowi Darkwa, President, Ghana Veterinary Medical Association (GVMA), emphasized that rabies had no cure and the only way to control it was to embark on mass vaccination of pets, especially dogs and cats. He explained that the government could make a lot of savings by committing funds for annual rabies vaccinations and break the dog-to-human rabies cycle rather than using foreign currency to import the human anti-rabies vaccines for the hospitals.

Dr. Darkwa said statistics indicated that, in 2002, two cases of human rabies were reported in the Greater Accra Region and they both died, while in 2003, 10 cases were reported out of which, three died. Between January and December 2005, 38 rabies positive cases were reported.

The veterinary association therefore called on the government to reinstate the annual rabies vaccination campaign that was stopped 10 years ago.

Referring to a story that claimed that, a "vet officer" was being held for a boy's death, Dr Darkwa said no one from his outfit had been placed in custody for such an offence.

He said the suspect, Nathan Boryor, was "neither a vet officer nor a vet technician. Neither was he a staff of the Veterinary Services Department nor had he received any training at all in Veterinary Science." "He is therefore an impostor, or a quack doctor engaged in illegal activities in that area and must therefore be dealt with according to the law," Dr Darkwa added. 12 June 08