Joshua Nahamya,
Sheema.
Locals in the Sheema district are perplexed over the increasing rabid cases in the district.
This was revealed on Tuesday by Dr. Joseph Amanya, the district veterinary officer (DVO) of the Sheema district.
Rabies is a zoonotic disease that is transmitted from animals to human beings caused by Lyssavirus causing acute inflammation to the brain most commonly known in dogs and all mammals. It is considered to be all but 100% fatal.
According to Dr. Amanya rabies, is the most internationally serious disease with great consequences which include death.
“When the signs have come up there is nothing you can do about an animal even in human beings they always die,” he said
Amanya says the rabid spread was reported on 26th July when a stray dog bit a cow in Kitagata farm institute which later died.
“It is always rare in livestock but this time it happened and this particular case of a cow which was bitten by a stray dog at Kitagata Farm Institute and the cow was reported when it had already started showing signs of rabies and within a day it died”
Anthony Tumuhimbise, the district surveillance focal person confirmed the death of two goats, a sheep, and a cow beaten by the stray dog in Kitagata Sub-county while Joel Nabaasa, the district production officer in charge of animal husbandry in Sheema district also confirmed the death of two cows and three goats that have died in Kitagata Town Council.
This is not the first time rabies has hit the district. In 2019, Nyakarama and Kasaana parishes in Rugarama and Kasaana sub counties were affected.
The DVO says most cases were reported in the sub-counties of Kitagata Sub-county, Kasaana, and Kitagata town council in Sheema south.
“According to the locals, a rabies dog passed through the area although they didn’t know that it had caused any effect but it was later killed at another farm where it had attempted to attack other livestock”
Among the signs of rabies include; aggression, loss of appetite, body weakness, skin rashes, noise, madness, hypersalivation, death, and attacks on humans as well as other animals although Dr. Amanya said it has not been common for rabies in livestock.
“When an animal shows that kind of behavior and dies within that period then most likely the disease is rabies”
He says after observing the above signs and symptoms, the dead cow was exposed to several tests to confirm rabies in the area.
“We had to open the head and prepared the brain sample which we sent to the National Agricultural Development Company((NADEC) laboratory at Entebbe and they confirmed that the disease was rabies and the rest of the caucus was burnt and buried to prevent the further spread,” said Amanya
Despite the ongoing surveillance, the district veterinary department is sensitizing the community about the dangers of rabies.
“We are under alert and we have informed all the other government departments including the education department and the community-based services and we still monitoring the situation but so far two more animals have died in that area with the same signs a cow and a goat within the neighboring farms,” Amanya said
“And at the national level, we have already reported to the ministry of health, world health organization we also have their representatives here and we are waiting for any other kind of help either in sensitization or anti-rabies vaccines” he added
However, Dr. Amanya is worried that if the rabid outbreak is not sorted out in the area, school-going children might be affected since they are targeted by such stray dog bites.
“Cases of rabies can impact society because people who suffer from such rabies are the school-going children who are mostly beaten by the dogs as they go to school,” Amanya said
He appealed to NGOs and other developing partners to provide free anti-rabies vaccinations to human beings.
“Anti-rabies for humans which are available at Kitagata general hospital is at a cost so we are appealing to WHO and any other partners that if they can avail that vaccine and they sensitize the people who could have to be the contact of these animals to vaccinate in time,” says Amanya
Also Michael Atwakire, a resident of Kabwohe Sheema Municipality said they are worried about stray dogs to their young children at home.
“There has been a rampant movement of stray dogs during this dry spell, we are now living in fear, especially for our crawling babies at home,” Atwakire said.
Doreen Ainembabazi, also a mother of two school-going children sympathizes with her two sons if the school term opens.
“We request those with dogs to vaccinate them and for the government officials to kill all stray dogs in the municipality to restore security for our kids while going to school,” Ainembabazi said.
Mr. Amanya said the district vaccinates dogs every financial year and last year, more than 6,000 dogs out of 8,000 were vaccinated.
