By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KABALE
A young girl in Kabale district started making dog sounds on Friday, after a fortnight of being bitten by a dog.
Angel Amanyabyoona, was bitten by a dog when she was going to visit her grandparent. The girl’s mother, Anna Kyarikunda, said they initially thought the bites were minor and didn’t seek immediate medical attention.
However, on Friday, Angel’s condition took a devastating turn when she began barking like a dog. She was rushed to a hospital in Kabale, where doctors diagnosed her with full-blown rabies.
Rabies is a deadly viral disease that can be prevented with timely post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), including immediate washing of the wound, vaccination, and administration of rabies immunoglobulin.
Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that, “globally there are an estimated 59 000 deaths from rabies annually; with 40% being children under 15, however, due to underreporting, documented case numbers often differ from the estimate.
WHO reports indicate that dog bites and scratches cause 99% of the human rabies cases, and can be prevented through dog vaccination and bite prevention.
Additionally, WHO recommends Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) as first aid for dog bites and scratches.
“If a person is bitten or scratched by a potentially rabid animal, they should immediately and always seek PEP care,” WHO recommendation.
PEP consists of thorough wound washing, administration of a course of human rabies vaccine and, when indicated, rabies immunoglobulins (RIG).
