CAPE TOWN - Two children have died from the rabies outbreak reported in the Eastern Cape.
A five-year-old from Reeston in East London died after an infected dog bit the child.
The rabies outbreak also claimed the life of a nine-year-old boy from Motherwell in Gqebera who was also bitten by an infected dog.
This comes as the Eastern Cape government is currently vaccinating dogs in Gqebera and Buffalo City Municipality.
“We are undertaking a vaccination drive to vaccinate dogs in various parts of the Metro. This is a joint drive together with the Department of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform (Veterinary Services) in collaboration with the Metro’s Municipal Health Services, Disaster Management and Public Participation.”
The vaccination teams are not stationed in one place but move street by street to be accessible to dog owners or those that are at home at the time.
“We call upon dog owners to observe all the signs that are associated with rabies in domestic animals, which includes aggressiveness, biting and drooling,” the municipality said.
Rabies is a deadly virus spread to people from the saliva of an infected animal. Animals most likely to spread rabies include dogs, bats, coyotes, foxes, skunks and raccoons.
Symptoms in humans include fever, headache, excess salivation, muscle spasms, paralysis and confusion.
Cape Times