Published Date: 2010-04-06 17:09:54
Subject: PRO/EAFR> Rabies, canine, human - Ghana: (Upper East)
Archive Number: 20100406.206570

RABIES, CANINE, HUMAN - GHANA: (UPPER EAST)
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Date: Mon 5 Apr 2010
Source: GhanaWeb [edited]
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=179833


The increase in consumption of dog heads in the Bongo District is
said to be hampering research efforts into rabies cases reported at
the district hospital in the area. Dogs suspected of carrying rabies
popularly known as "mad dogs", are killed and eaten including the
heads that are usually the part that is used to examine the presence of rabies.

The consumption of dog meat has gone up in recent times in the
district with residents now desiring for it during their leisure
times. Dog meat is usually not used in preparing meals at home
because of the belief that not everyone takes the meat. This was made
known on Monday [5 April 2010], when Dr Vivian Brusset Cisneros, a
Cuban doctor presented a paper on the epidemiology of rabies in the
Bongo Hospital at the 11th Regional Scientific Workshop between
Ghanaian doctors and their Cuban counterparts in the Upper East
Region.

She said the practice hindered effective research into arriving at
conclusive decisions on suspected rabies related deaths. She said so
far the hospital has recorded about 101 suspected rabies cases of
which 47 have been treated and discharged with 5 people losing their
lives. Dr Cisneros indicated that in December last year [2009], 19
dog bites were recorded and the majority of the reported cases came
from Namoo, a frontier with Burkina Faso and the Bongo central.

She said dog census conducted put the number in the Bong District at
8217 with only 1843 of them vaccinated against rabies. Dr Cisneros
said if the rabies scare in the area would have to be contained, then
dog owners should vaccinate their dogs.

The Regional Director of Health Service, Dr John Koku Awoonor
Williams, called for a strong surveillance system at the district
level to check outbreaks of all kinds of diseases. He said the idea
about sending data to the Regional Directorate from the district
level, without analyzing them slowed down the alarm system to disease outbreak.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-EAFR


[This report indicates that rabies is still a huge public health
problem in Bongo district. A similar report from the district in
October 2009 indicated 6 deaths in 5 days amidst a rabies vaccine
shortage in the district (see ProMED-EAFR 20091028.203347).

The current report indicates that rabies surveillance has been
hampered by the practice of eating "mad dog" heads as they are vital
for confirming canine cases. The 2 reports, therefore, indicate the
need to avail of adequate vaccines to immunise humans with high risk
of exposure and the need to set up a program for eliminating rabies
in dogs through animal vaccinations. The WHO recommends that both the
veterinary and public health services work together to implement mass
vaccination of dogs if human rabies is to be prevented
(http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs099/en/index.html).

The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Ghana is available at
http://healthmap.org/r/00Y3. Bongo district in the Upper East
region of Ghana can be seen via the maps at
http://www.maplibrary.org/stacks/Africa/Ghana/index.php. - Mod.JFW]

See Also

2009
----
Rabies, animal, human - Namibia: update 20100307.205986
Rabies, canine, human - Ghana: (Upper East) 20091028.203347


[For background information on rabies available from the general
ProMED-mail list, the postings below can be found at
http://www.promedmail.org. - Mod.JFW


Rabies - Russia: (NZ) animal vaccination 20100402.1062
Rabies, animal - Israel & Palestinian AT: update, control 20100401.1039
Rabies, animal - Russia: (Moscow) dog control 20100401.1029
Rabies, canine, human - Philippines (05): (CV) 20100329.0980
Rabies, animal - Israel (04): stray dogs, control 20100328.0968
Rabies, animal - Israel (03): Dog mediated, vaccinated animals 20100326.0962
Rabies, feline - USA: (NYC) 20100325.0950
...................................mpp/jfw/be

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