Chijioke Iremeka
Across the country, dog ownership has increased astronomically and the love for these pets, which come in varying breeds and are bought at exorbitant prices, is splashed all over social media.
Several neighbourhoods have also seen a rise in the number of dogs taken for walks by their owners.
Based on this, epidemiologists and public health physicians have expressed grave concern over a likely surge in rabies disease and called for consistent vaccination of dogs and puppies to reduce the risk of transmission among humans.
According to them, rabies, a deadly viral disease transmitted through the saliva of infected animals, poses a significant public health threat in Nigeria, noting that though preventable, it remains a persistent challenge, particularly in rural areas where access to healthcare, especially vaccination, diagnosis, and awareness about the disease are limited.
According to the experts, rabies is primarily transmitted to humans through the bite of infected animals, most commonly dogs, noting that in Nigeria, where stray dogs roam freely, the risk of rabies transmission is heightened.
According to the World Health Organisation, rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic, viral disease affecting the central nervous system but once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is virtually 100 per cent fatal.
It noted that rabies is one of the neglected tropical diseases that predominantly affects already marginalised, poor and vulnerable populations, saying that effective human vaccines and immunoglobulins exist for rabies, but is often not readily available or accessible to those in need.
The global health body noted that rabies occurs in over 150 countries and territories, and causes tens of thousands of deaths every year, mainly in Asia and Africa, with 40 per cent of victims being children under 15 years of age.
The WHO insisted that dogs are the main source of human rabies deaths, contributing up to 99 per cent of all rabies transmissions to humans.
The global health body, however, said the disease can be prevented through the vaccination of dogs and the prevention of dog bites.
WHO stated, “Rabies virus spreads to people and animals via saliva, usually through bites, scratches, or direct contact with mucosa (eyes, mouth, or open wounds).
“After exposure of people to a potentially rabid animal, they should seek post-exposure prophylaxis, which consists of immediate, thorough wound washing.
“Globally rabies causes an estimated cost of US$ 8.6 billion per year. Children between the ages of five and 14 years are frequent victims. Rabies is present on all continents except Antarctica, with over 95 per cent of human deaths occurring in Asia and Africa.”
According to WHO, Africa accounts for nearly 95 per cent of all human deaths from rabies, with Nigeria being one of the most affected countries on the continent.
It further noted that despite being a preventable disease, rabies continues to claim lives in Nigeria, especially among children, who are more likely to encounter stray dogs.
“Preventing rabies requires a multi-faceted approach involving vaccination campaigns, animal control measures, public education, and access to post-exposure prophylaxis for individuals bitten by potentially rabid animals,” the WHO added.
Speaking exclusively with PUNCH Healthwise in different interviews, the physicians held that animal control measures, such as population management and responsible pet ownership initiatives, are crucial for reducing the risk of rabies transmission.
A Consultant Epidemiologist and Public Health specialist at the Iyi-Enu Mission Hospital, Ogidi, Anambra State, Dr Marcel Ikerionwu, said reducing the risk of rabies transmission includes promoting the sterilisation and vaccination of pet dogs.
He noted that public education plays a vital role in raising awareness about rabies transmission, symptoms, and prevention strategies.
According to the physician, educating communities about the importance of avoiding contact with stray animals, seeking medical care promptly after animal bites, and vaccinating pets are essential for reducing the incidence of rabies.
He said, “Access to post-exposure prophylaxis, which includes rabies vaccination and rabies immunoglobulin administration is critical for individuals bitten by potentially rabid animals.”
Ikerionwu noted that despite ongoing efforts to control rabies in Nigeria, several challenges persist including inadequate funding, limited resources, and weak healthcare infrastructure.
The physician lamented that these undermine the country’s ability to implement comprehensive rabies control programmes, saying that lack of coordination among government agencies and other stakeholders hampers collaborative efforts to address the disease.
Also, a Consultant Public Health Physician at Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, Delta State, Dr Ovie Efekodo, said in Nigeria, rabies is primarily transmitted through the bites of infected dogs, although other animals such as cats, bats, and even monkeys can also carry the virus.
He said that the incubation period for rabies is typically two to three months but may vary from one week to a year, depending on factors such as the location of virus entry and the viral load.
According to him, the initial symptoms of rabies include generic signs like fever, pain, and unusual or unexplained tingling, pricking, or burning sensations at the wound site.
He added, “As the virus moves to the central nervous system, progressive and fatal inflammation of the brain and spinal cord develops. Clinical rabies in people can be managed but very rarely cured, and not without severe neurological deficits.
“Rabies elimination is feasible and achievable if this goal is prioritised and adequately supported financially and politically.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Government recently restated its commitment to ensuring the eradication of dog-mediated human rabies by 2030.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mustapha Baba-Shehuri stated this at the inauguration of the nationwide free anti-rabies vaccination exercise in Dukku Local Government Area of Gombe State.
He said rabies was endemic in Nigeria and many other African countries, adding that it remains a global threat as it is responsible for approximately 59,000 deaths across the world annually.
Also, the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Dr Maimuna Habib said the choice of Gombe for the launch of the vaccination exercise was due to an increase in reported cases of rabies in dogs and humans in the state.
He said the exercise was also meant to create awareness of the dangers and the impact of the disease on public health as well as prevention and control measures.
The chief veterinary officer said the government had developed a National Strategic Plan for the control of rabies in the country.
According to Habib, the document will guide the implementation of the National Programme for the Control of Rabies approved by the National Council on Agriculture and Rural Development.
A study published in the Wiley Online Library by Ahmed Abubakar et al, titled, ‘Prospects for dog rabies elimination in Nigeria by 2030’, pointed out that rabies is a vaccine-preventable disease neglected by Nigeria and many other countries of the world.
The authors said to achieve Zero rabies by 2030, Nigeria must re-strategise its current rabies control programme by ensuring it adapts and enforces its national strategic plan for rabies control.
“The multi-sectoral collaborations, based on the One Health approach can be achieved via engaging communities to build rabies awareness; strengthening human and animal health systems, surveillance and providing proof of concept that rabies elimination is feasible,” the study stated.
It noted that promoting intersectoral and regional collaboration, advocating for political engagement, and support, and building the case for investment through public-private partnerships and a Global Strategic Plan can end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies.
It added, “Due to the huge financial commitment needed for rabies control in Nigeria, there is the need for a sustainable rabies control strategy in which the government focuses on the provision of vaccines and the people are mandated to vaccinate their dogs.
“In addition, relevant government agencies should explore public-private partnerships that could help provide vaccines, conduct mass advocacy, manage the free-roaming dog population, and generate sufficient data for public health decision-making.”
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