Durban – A total of nine laboratory-confirmed human rabies cases were reported in South Africa between January 1 and July 20 this year.
The laboratory confirmed human rabies cases occurred in the Eastern Cape (four), Limpopo (three) and KZN (two).
In addition, five probable human rabies cases occurred in the Eastern Cape.
This was according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) July 2022 communiqué.
The communiqué said two human rabies cases, one confirmed and one probable, in children were reported in the country between June 21 and July 20.
“These cases were reported from the iLembe District of KwaZulu-Natal province (confirmed) and Nelson Mandela Bay municipality in the Eastern Cape province (probable),” the NICD said.
The NICD said that from 2018 to date, the majority of human rabies cases have originated from the Eastern Cape, KZN and Limpopo and the source has mostly been dogs.
“The cases were predominantly in children under the age of 16 years, with males (55) being affected twice as much as females (29).”
Last month, the South African Military Health Service and its US Army counterparts, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, conducted a free rabies vaccination campaign in KZN.
The team visited the Ntambanana Clinic and surrounding areas in northern KZN to provide free rabies vaccinations and general veterinary care to the community's dogs and cats. This was done under the umbrella of Exercise SHARED ACCORD 2022 taking place in KwaZulu-Natal during July 2022.
Personnel from South Africa and the US vaccinated 300 dogs and 54 cats against rabies on the day, and the campaign is set to run in the area for a week.
Meanwhile, in the June 2022 communiqué, the NICD said rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) was a lifesaving intervention. Prompt delivery of PEP is crucial.
The wound site(s) should be washed thoroughly with soap and water. This can be done before visiting a healthcare facility and should be a teaching point in affected communities. Wound washing may be repeated at the health care facility and thorough irrigation of the wound is recommended.
“Rabies vaccination requires the administration of four doses of vaccine via the intramuscular route, one dose each on days 0, 3, 7 and any day from 14-28 (day 0 is the day of presentation to the health care facility),” the NICD said.
It said that rabies immunoglobulin if provided through infiltration into and around the wound or wound sites. Covering all wounds is essential.
Daily News