Alarm as rabid dogs attack people in Tharaka Nithi village

 

Residents of Gituya village in Tharaka Nithi County are living in fear of being attacked by rabid dogs that have already bitten at least two people.

Locals told journalists on Tuesday that the dogs have also attacked some livestock and other dogs.

They now want the government to initiate a vaccination drive.

Mr Peter Mutembei, a resident said a woman was bitten while picking tea while a boy was attacked within their homestead.

“A woman and a boy were bitten last week by two different dogs and are now receiving treatment,” said Mr Mutembei, a resident.

Ms Nancy Gatakaa, another resident, said due to fears of being attacked, parents are staying with their children at home or locking them inside the house as they go to the farm.

Veterinary officers

The locals are now urging veterinary officers from the county department of agriculture to intervene and hunt down the infected dogs and vaccinate the rest before they cause more problems.

The locals also asked the devolved unit to ensure that there is enough and affordable rabies vaccine at the health facilities to avoid deaths.

Tharaka Nithi County Agriculture Chief Executive Dr Mbae Nkoroi told the Nation that wild dogs from the neighbouring Mount Kenya forest are attacking the domestic dogs transmitting rabies.

“We have a big challenge of wild dogs from the neighbouring Mount Kenya forest that bite the domestic dogs and transmit the disease,” said Dr Nkoroi.

He said the devolved government frequently vaccinates dogs and cats, an exercise that is set to start in May.

Rabies is a viral infection that mainly spreads through a bite from an infected animal including dogs, bats and foxes and can also affect human beings.

There are two kinds of rabies, according to the World Health Organisation: Furious rabies and paralytic rabies.

Furious rabies exhibits hyperactivity and death occurs after a few days due to cardio-respiratory arrest.

Paralytic rabies accounts for 20 per cent of human cases and is less dramatic –and takes longer to manifest.

Dogs infected with rabies exhibit difficulty swallowing, excessive drooling, staggering, seizures, paralysis and even overstimulation while people experience headache, nausea, vomiting, anxiety and confusion, among other symptoms.   BY DAILY NATION