Rabies on rise in Zimbabwe; stray dogs blamed
Zimbabwe has registered a total of 171 confirmed rabies cases in 2014, up from two in 2012
By Wallace Mawire
HARARE
Zimbabwe has registered an increase in the prevalence of rabies, a viral disease that causes acute inflammation of the brain in humans – a development that local officials blame on stray dogs.
"We have a policy of carrying out free vaccination programs on every dog above the age of three months to suppress the spread of the disease, but we are facing challenges with the stray dogs," Dr. Martin Sibanda, an official with Zimbabwe's Veterinary Services Department, told The Anadolu Agency.
Zimbabwe has registered a total of 171 confirmed rabies cases in 2014, he said.
Rabies, which affects the brain, is usually passed from animal to animal, but can also be transmitted from animals to humans.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were six cases of human rabies confirmed in 2011 and another two the following year.
Most rabies cases recorded in Zimbabwe are believed to have been the result of dog bites.
Sibanda blamed the problem on poor refuse management systems in urban areas, which, he said, were a potential breeding ground – and feeding haven – for stray dogs.
"Another challenge that is promoting the spread of rabies in the country is the shortage of vaccines," he said.
"We have not been able to access enough funds to conduct our outreach vaccination programs," the official added.
He said that, over the past six years, the veterinary services department had been conducting mass vaccination programs for dogs once a year instead of twice.
For instance, Sibanda said in 2013 that his department could not obtain adequate funding so the mass vaccination programs were adversely impacted, fuelling the spread of the disease.
He also blamed the prevalence of rabies on puppies, which, he said, were being produced by stray dogs and did not have owners to vaccinate them.
He said the situation had been compounded by animal welfare organizations such as the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
"Animal welfare organizations have barred us from shooting stray dogs that we know to be unvaccinated," said Sibanda.
"As an enforcement mechanism, we used to shoot and kill the stray dogs, but the organizations said it was against the law," he added. "They advised us to sedate and treat instead of killing the animals."
The official added that, due to budgetary constraints, it would be difficult to monitor and treat every stray dog.
In a bid to encourage Zimbabweans to voluntarily have their animals vaccinated against rabies, the veterinary services department is also using mobile technology to send out mass text messages.
A recent message sent to subscribers of the Econet Wireless Zimbabwe mobile services platform read: "Zimbabwe is experiencing an increase in rabies cases! Get your pets and livestock vaccinated against rabies and save lives."
