KABUL (Pajhwok): Over 19,000 incidents of rabies dog bite and 18 fatalities have been recorded in Afghanistan during ongoing year due to which 18 people were killed.
Rabies is a preventable viral disease most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The rabies virus infects the central nervous system of mammals, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death.
Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmadzai, a senior official of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), told Pajhwok Afghan News 19, 346 cases of rabies dog bit recorded during the ongoing solar year.
On average 72 rabies dog bite incident happened every months
According to Stanikzai of the total dog bites cases 2,393 have happened in Kabul, 2,075 in Nangarhar, 2,043 in Ghazni, 1,766 in Herat, 1702 in Paktia, 1,420 in Laghman, 1,052 in Helmand, 882 in Kunar, 665 in Paktika, 664 in Parwan, 649 in Baghlan, 641 in Khost, 592 in Takhar, 483 in Maidan Wardak, 349 in Balkh, 372 in Faryab, 268 in Badakhshan, 230 in Kunduz, 248 in Samangan, 151 in Logar, 84 in Bamyan, 83 in Nimroz, 82 in Zabul, 70 in Badghis, 66 in Farah, 64 in Sar-i-Pul, 66 in Kapesa, 50 in Daikundi, 39 in Panjshir, nine in uruzgan and three in Ghor province.
According to Stanikzai the victims included 9,184 men, 3,213 women and 6,959 children.
Stanikzai said 18 people have been died as a result of rabies dog bite, 16 people were died in Kabul and two others in Parwan province.
He said 7,000 doses of rabies vaccine was available in Kabul and provinces, adding that comparing to the number of victims the doses were short.
“This vaccine is not enough for the entire country asking the health ministry and relevant institutions to purchase more vaccines,” he added.
Stanikzai said the ministry planned to get separate funds from the Ministry of Finance to purchase more vaccine and improve public awareness.
He said people should prevent their children from playing with stray dogs and when a dog bite someone they should clean the bitted spot with clean water and evacuate the victim to the hospital.
He said health ministry had agreements with the agriculture ministry and Kabul municipality and the two institutions should remain committed to the agreements.
The two institutions were bound to reduce the number of dogs and vaccinate them.
Municipality steps to prevent stray dogs
Kabul Municipality Spokesperson Niamatullah Barakzai said 30,000 dogs have been castrated since the beginning of ongoing year and vaccinated over 95,000.
He added municipality had tasked some employees to stop the entry of dogs from districts and vaccinate them.
Provincial authorities also took steps in this regard such as the Panjshir Municipality said over 400 stray dogs have been eliminated in the past 14 days.
Rabies symptoms
Medical experts say in the early stages the symptoms of rabies virus are , cough, fever, sore throat, stomach pain, depression and feear, and later changes in the patient’s behavior, sadness, fear from water and air, fear of everything, Insanity, limb paralysis, blood pressure disorder, body temperature and pulse disturbances, limb paralysis, coma and respiratory arrest They said individuals getting bite from suspected animal like dog should wash the bitted spot with soap and refer to the physicians.
The stressed over the elimination of stray dogs, vaccination of animals and keeping domestic animals away from wild animals to ensure the prevention of rabies virus.
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