South Africa: Rabies outbreaks - Toddler first victim

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.buanews.gov.za/news/10/10090810551002

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 08 Sep 2010
Title: Rabies outbreak under control
--------------------

By Nthambeleni Gabara

Pretoria - Although the outbreak of rabies in some areas mostly in the south of Johannesburg is under control, the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development says it is continuing with a campaign to vaccinate pets.

New cases of rabies were confirmed in Dobsonville, Soweto, Eldorado and Kibler Park at the weekend.

Departmental spokesman, Makoko Lekola said the outbreak of rabies was under control and they have embarked on a larger scale vaccination programme in the affected and surrounding areas.

"Rabies is a killer disease so everyone is encouraged to bring their pets for vaccination. All dogs and cats over the age of 3 months that were not vaccinated in the last month must be vaccinated.

"This is a free service. The presence of rabies in such a highly populated area can be considered as posing an extremely serious public health risk," he said...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: South Africa: Rabies outbreaks

Re: South Africa: Rabies outbreaks

Source: http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article677937.ece/Suspected-rabies-death-in-Soweto

Suspected rabies death in Soweto
Sep 27, 2010 12:28 PM | By Sapa
A young Johannesburg girl has died, possibly after contracting rabies, Gauteng agriculture and rural development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza said on Monday.

The child, aged below 10, from Dobsonville, Soweto, died on Saturday at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital of symptoms similar to those of rabies. She had a history of being bitten by dogs...

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: South Africa: Rabies outbreaks - Toddler first victim

Toddler first victim of rabies' outbreak

Oct 4, 2010 10:52 PM | By HARRIET MCLEA

A rabies outbreak in southern Johannesburg has taken its first victim - a two-year-old girl - and experts warn the death toll is likely to rise.


Yesterday, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases confirmed that the toddler died of rabies a month after she was scratched by an infected puppy in Dlamini, Soweto. The stray rabid puppy has since disappeared and the mourning family have had to put their adult dog down as a preventative measure.

Rabies has been confirmed in 11 dogs in Sophiatown, Eldorado Park, Witpoortjie, Meredale and Kibler Park.

NICD spokesman Lucille Blumberg said she expects "some exposures [to rabies] have not been reported".
...

Malcolm deBude, chief director of veterinary services and resource management in the Gauteng Department of Agriculture, said: "It will spread. Our biggest risk is that we're in a densely populated area and we need at least 70% [vaccination] coverage. We've realised rabies is now in the stray dog population."

.../
http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article689330.ece/Toddler-first-victim-of-rabies-outbreak

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: South Africa: Rabies outbreaks - Toddler first victim

<TABLE id=apex_layout_271110100662109808 class=formlayout border=0 summary=""><TBODY><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Archive Number</TD><TD noWrap align=left>20101004.3599</TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Published Date</TD><TD noWrap align=left>04-OCT-2010</TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Subject</TD><TD noWrap align=left>PRO/AH/EDR> Rabies - South Africa (03): (GT) canine, human</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


RABIES - SOUTH AFRICA (03): (GAUTENG), CANINE, HUMAN***********************************************A ProMED-mail post<http://www.promedmail.org>ProMED-mail is a program of theInternational Society for Infectious Diseases<http://www.isid.org>Date: Mon 4 Oct 2010From: Lucille Blumberg <lucilleb@nicd.ac.za>
</PRE>
Rabies was confirmed as the cause of death in the 2-year-old child
who died in a Johannesburg hospital recently, one month after being
scratched by an unvaccinated, domestic puppy in Soweto. Laboratory
tests were conducted on post-mortem brain specimens at the National
Institute for Communicable Diseases and the Dept. of Anatomical
Pathology and were positive by RT-PCR and the fluorescent antibody test.

This is the 1st confirmed human case of rabies resulting from an
animal exposure in the Johannesburg (JHB) Metropolitan area. The
injury was relatively minor; rabies awareness is low in the area; a
health facility was not visited, and, consequently, the child did not
receive post-exposure prophylaxis.

This human rabies case coincides with a serious outbreak of rabies in
dogs in Johannesburg. As of Sun 3 Oct 2010, there have been a total
of 11 confirmed cases of rabies in dogs in the south western areas of
the Johannesburg Metropolitan area, predominantly in unvaccinated
domestic dogs. All isolates have been identified as canid biotype,
originating from KwaZulu province. The canid strain has never
previously been a problem in Gauteng.

Until this outbreak, the risk of rabies in JHB was very low, and,
therefore, there is limited awareness about what should be done to
prevent rabies disease in humans. Rabies vaccination of domestic dogs
and cats is, however, a legal requirement in South Africa, but
coverage is variable.

An extensive animal vaccination campaign was launched in May 2010
when the 1st dog cases were identified, and this is being coupled
with a campaign to raise the awareness amongst the population and
health professionals.

--
Prof. Lucille Blumberg,
Prof Janusz Paweska and Dr Jackie Weyer
(National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health
Laboratory Service);
Prof. Martin Hale
(Dept. of Anatomical Pathology, University of Witwatersrand and NHLS);
Dr Malcolm de Bude (Chief Director Veterinary Services, Gauteng province).
<lucilleb@nicd.ac.za>

[ProMED-mail thanks Professor Lucille Blumberg and colleagues for
providing this confirmation that rabies virus infection was the cause
of death of the 2-year-old child in Johannesburg as a consequence of
a dog-bite one month previously.

A map of the provinces of South Africa, showing the location of
Gauteng province and the city of Johannesburg, can be accessed at:
<http://www.places.co.za/html/visualfind.html>. The
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of South Africa is available
at: <http://healthmap.org/r/00vd>. - Mod.CP]

[see also:
Rabies - South Africa (02): (GT) canine, human susp. 20100928.3519
Rabies, human, canine - South Africa (GG) susp. 20100927.3504]
.....................................................cp/msp/dk

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