/By Simret Demere/Addis Ababa: - The Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, the team leader of Animal Disease told that rabies occurred as an epidemic in Addis Ababa. According to the team leader Dr. Eshetu Yimer’s explanation to the news reporter rabies outbreak is very serious at this time it has also killed 28 people in the past nine months from July 2004 to April 8, 2005. He also noted that about 7 people are coming to the Institute bitten by rabid dogs every day and further explained that above 1,238 people in the City has been given for rabies post exposure treatment. He also pointed out in the past nine months while medical treatment has been given to about 898 animals, rabies diagnosis has been done for 290 animals’ brain samples and 232 found rabies infected. He also further explained that among the above-mentioned figure 258 were dogs and 215 found rabid, from their brain sample examination and the situation showed that rabies is expanding in Addis Ababa City. According to Dr. Eshetu’s explanation it is expected that the rapid population growth of homeless dogs is the main reason for rabies epidemic in the City. And even the careless handling with no medical treatment and vaccination of owned once is also another factor. Therefore he recommended that Continuous destruction of homeless dogs and awareness creation work should be done for the community concerning proper handling of the owned once. He also suggested vaccination service centers should be set in accordance to give seasonal service and also if the by law to control rabies prepared by Addis Ababa Agricultural office in the past years could have been implemented, It could have been possible to control rabies in addition to what he suggested above. We also are able to understand from Dr. Eshetu’s explanation that among the 13,348 people who came to the Institute from Addis Ababa and other parts of the country 239 died from the year 2000 - March 2005. This figure did not include the treatments given in the other parts of the country.
The News is taken
from Addis Zemen News paper June 24, 2005. |
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