Stray Thoughts Fall 2017
Pet Health Watch with Dr. Main
Dog Health Issues in Africa
H
aving just traveled to Africa, I thought it would be
interesting to look outside Dupage County, and learn
about a health issues in dogs in Africa. A man from Nigeria
was bitten by a hunting dog with suspected rabies. The
dog’s owner took the man to a traditional healer, who gave
the man an unknown mixture; and proclaimed him cured.
Two weeks later the man developed signs consistent with
rabies and was referred to a medical center where he died
with in 2 days. This story highlights the problems faced by
the veterinary sector and the general public in countries
where rabies is endemic.
is scarce in these countries
and dog owners can not afford
pet care. Government funding
is primarily geared towards
livestock. The situation is
worsened by lack of public
awareness, large numbers
of unowned dogs, lack of
responsible ownership, and lack
of political will and funding.
Clearly this is a huge cultural
problem that is locked in a time
warp as compared to the United States.
In the United States, rabies is considered rare, and
primarily in wild life. Further, in the U.S. the disease is well
understood and for which vaccination is widespread. In
countries such as Africa, rabies is considered a profound
risk for both people and animals. In fact, there are 55,000
deaths annually, mostly in children – with the source being
the domesticated dog 99% of the time. In these countries,
because of the risk of human death from rabies, dogs
are often culled. Of course a better alternative would be
to think of dogs as companions or working animals and
provide vaccines. But, native attitudes towards dogs, in
Nigeria, for example, are highly variable.
There is now a “Mission Rabies” program working in 5
countries to get dogs vaccinated. The goal is to vaccinate
70% of the dog population, which is the magic number to
eradicate the disease. The aim is to eliminate rabies from
the world by 2030. This group also provides educational
materials, and educational opportunities for adults and
children about bite avoidance and bite response.
The situation in these underdeveloped countries is
vastly different from our life in Dupage County. We are
incredibly fortunate to be educated and have resources
available for safe and wonderful relationships with are
beloved pets. It is an interesting and shocking perspective
to realize a simple rabies vaccine is not available for pets
in Nigeria; and that people die regularly because of this
lack. Africa is an incredibly diverse and beautiful part of
the world, but there really is no place like home.
In Nigeria the dog population is estimated to be 5 million.
Although some dogs are used for security, hunting,
herding, and even food, most are feral and roam freely.
This creates a situation where the transmission of rabies
between dogs is likely. This then leads to increased
human exposure. Unfortunately, veterinary health care
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