Vaccinate your pets to avoid rabies — Ghana Health Service

Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, the Director of Public Health, Ghana Health Service, has urged pet owners to vaccinate their pets to avoid the spread of rabies in the country.

Dr. Asiedu-Bekoe was speaking at a press briefing in Accra following the recent outbreak and reported fatality of the disease in the Ashanti Region.

He said so far four cases had been reported with four deaths recorded, all in the Ashanti Region.

The Director of Public Health said rabies cases were a problem for Public Health in both the medical and veterinary fields and as such several efforts were being made to ensure that animals were immunized throughout the country, particularly the affected region, as well as pet owners.

“We are also sensitizing our clinicians about the post exposure prophylaxis, that if you are bitten by a rabies dog, you need to report as early as possible,” he added.

Dr. Asiedu-Bekoe advised pet owners and pet shops to get their animals vaccinated with immediate effect.

Rabies is a deadly virus which spreads to people from the saliva of infected animals. The disease usually spreads through an animal bite. Animals most likely to spread rabies include dogs, bats, coyotes, foxes, skunks, and raccoons.

Persons infected with Rabies experience one or more symptoms such as headache, neck pain, nausea, fever, fear of water, anxiety, agitation, abnormal tingling sensations or pain at the wound site.

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