Durban — A 17-year-old teenage boy has died of human rabies in KwaZulu-Natal, bringing the death toll from rabies across the country to nine.
According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases’ (NICD) October 2023 communiqué, a fatal case of rabies was confirmed in the Ugu District on September 28, 2023,
“A 17-year-old male from eNkulu, uMzumbe Municipality, died in his home after experiencing a brief period of nausea, vomiting, hypersalivation, dyspnoea and agitated and aggressive behaviour,” the NICD said.
“Two to three months prior, he reported being bitten by an unfamiliar dog while walking home after dark. He did not go to a local clinic for medical attention for the wound on his leg. The clinically suspected diagnosis of rabies was confirmed by a post-mortem investigation, including a positive Direct Fluorescent Antibody test.”
The NICD continued: “The province of KwaZulu-Natal has reported five human rabies cases for the year so far. Cumulatively, the country has reported nine cases for the same period, including three cases from Eastern Cape province and one case from Limpopo province.”
The NICD warned that rabies was 100% fatal and can be prevented through immunisation of domestic animals (dogs and cats). Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), including thorough wound washing, can prevent rabies after human exposure to a potentially rabid animal.
“Rabies PEP includes a four-dose course of rabies vaccination on days 0, 3, 7 and any time between days 14 and 28, following the first dose of vaccine. Additionally, for Category 3 exposures, rabies immunoglobulin should be infiltrated directly into and around the wound as soon as possible.”
Earlier this month, Jaisheila Keshav, Animal Health South Africa head at Boehringer Ingelheim, said: “Rabies is almost always fatal in humans, but its prevention is remarkably simple through dog vaccinations and preventing dog bites.”
Keshav said that the Eastern Cape, KZN, and Limpopo provinces still experienced the highest number of positive rabies cases in animals, leading to the highest incidences of dog-mediated human cases. In regions with elevated positive animal cases, it is strongly recommended that animals be fully vaccinated against rabies annually due to increased environmental risks and associated challenges.
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