Maputo: Mozambique recorded close to 100 rabies induced deaths in 2017, the country’s Veterinary Services Department said.
About 11 000 cases of the preventable disease were recorded, with children being the worst affected, said Américo Conceição, the National Director of Veterinary Services said.
Rabies is 100 percent preventable in humans thanks to the Rabies vaccine, but Conceicao said government was bankrupt to purchase the vaccines.
“Not all dogs are vaccinated because some owners think the dog loses hunting power, and besides that the country has no money to acquire vaccines,” Conceicao told the media.
Rabies is an ever present virus; found on all continents except for Antarctica, rabies kills over 55,000 people each year.
In people who have been exposed to rabies, the rabies vaccine and sometimes rabies immunoglobulin are effective in preventing the disease if the person receives the treatment before the start of rabies symptoms.
More than 95% of human deaths caused by rabies occur in Africa and Asia.
