The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Wednesday confirmed eight cases of rabies and two related deaths in the territory and residents are being urged to vaccinate their dogs and cats and report any animal bites immediately.
Director of Veterinary Services at the FCTA Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Karnak Dandam, stated this in an interview in Abuja.
Dandam said the two fatalities occurred in Gwagwalada and Kwali area councils after rabid dogs bit the victims. Of the eight confirmed cases, five were recorded in Gwagwalada area council and three in Kwali area council.
He described rabies as a fatal viral disease that attacks the central nervous system and is commonly transmitted through the bite of an infected dog or cat. He warned that the disease is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.
“The immediate remedy after a bite is to wash the affected area with soap and plenty of water as first aid, and immediately present the victim to medical personnel for treatment,” Dandam advised.
He stated that the confirmed cases were detected from samples collected in March and June and tested at the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) in Vom, Plateau state.
“There are eight confirmed cases from samples taken for testing at the National Reference Laboratory, NVRI, and they came out positive. The first samples we took to Vom this year were in March, and the results were returned that same month. The second sample was collected in early June, and the results arrived on 15 June,” he said. (NAN)