B/A Regional Vertinary Service recorded 15 Rabies cases last year

The Brong Ahafo Regional Vertinary Service, l recorded 15 Rabies cases last year, as against eight in the year 2013.

Dr. Saviour Denueme, Regional Vertinary Officer, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, stated that one person died of Rabies last year on admission at the Techiman Holy Family Hospital, for delay in seeking treatment.

He said the unit received 113 dog bite cases from the various health institutions in the region, and out of the number, 15 were confirmed positive after investigations.

Dr Denueme urged the public to seek for medical treatment immediately at a nearby clinic after dog bite, and added that such cases if handled with care, victims will not develop rabies symptoms which can eventually lead to death.

He disclosed that the unit last year vaccinated as many as 20,161 dogs and 768 cats and 24 monkeys in the region, and appealed to people keeping dogs as pets in their homes, to vaccinate the animals against Rabies.

Dr. Denueme explained that the disease is preventable, and can be eliminated totally from the country, like any other diseases, if there is continuous vaccination of dogs for three consecutive years.

He urged government and other philanthropists to help sponsor free anti-Rabies vaccinations, to protect the lives of the general public, and to kick Rabies out of the country.

Dr. Denueme called for a law to clear all stray dogs from the streets and from the communities to avoid future uncertainties.

He stated that the service's main challenge is lack of equipment at the regional laboratory to carry out major investigations and sometimes have to rely on a laboratory at Techiman