Alleged Rabid Dog Attack In Ibadan, The Need For Urgent Implementation of Dog Law
By Dr. Ibikunle Faramade
Following an incident of alleged attack by rabid dog which claimed two lives at Oremeji Babanla area of Ibadan, the Society for Animal Rights Protection (SARP) has called for urgent implementation of Oyo State Dog Law.
Oyo State Dog Law mandates residents of Oyo State to vaccinate their dogs and cats against rabies annually. The law also prohibits dogs from roaming without their owners.
The Society for Animal Rights Protection received the news of the demise of two victims of fatal bite from alleged rabid dogs within the precinct of Ibadan metropolis, Oyo State capital, with sadness and great concern.
The incident which was reported to have happened recently around Oremeji Babanla area is a wakeup call for urgent implementation of Dogs (Amendment) Law 2020, passed by the Oyo State House of Assembly and assented to by the Executive Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, FNSE on the 22nd September, 2020.
The major trust of this well intentioned law is to promote the culture of responsible dog ownership among the citizens of Oyo State, with particular emphasis on measures to reduce the burden of rabies, a zoonotic viral disease mainly transmitted by dogs to humans. The law clearly stated the responsibility of dog owners to vaccinate their dogs from the age of 3 months and the mandate to confine the dogs within the premises of the owners. Punitive measures ranging from the payment of fines, offsetting the medical bill of victims and imprisonment were spelt out for erring dog owners.
Sadly, in the past four years, the mechanism of enforcement of this law has not been stipulated, at least, in the public domain. Stray dogs have continued to proliferate indiscriminately on the streets without consequences. This is dangerous as it exposes the general public to the menace of rabies disease. Therefore, the government of Oyo State, through the Department of Veterinary Services should do the needful as a matter of urgency.
In addition, the scarcity of human rabies immunoglobulin and human antirabies vaccine required for post exposure prophylaxis in many public and private medical facilities is very worrisome. These biologicals are the only escape routes for victims of rabid dog bites who reports at the hospital within 24hours after the bite. When they are available, the cost prices are not affordable to majority of the populace. This shows lack of readiness to reduce or eliminate rabies by the year 2030, which is one of the targets of sustainable development goals of the United Nations. It is necessary for the government, through relevant agencies, to reverse this ugly trend. Antirabies vaccine for dogs and cats, Human Rabies Immunoglobulin (HIRG) and human rabies vaccines should be available at subsidized rates, especially, in the public hospitals.
The prevention and control of rabies is a public good, not-for – profit activity, in which the government must invest heavily.
While it is true that the veterinary and human epidemiologist at both the State and National levels are currently investigating the latest incidence, to trace back the possible source of the disease, it would be apt for the government to embark on intensive information dissemination, through both the traditional and new media. Radio jingles, short playlets, news mention etc. would go a long way to give citizens correct information about this deadly disease, its mode of transmission and prevention and control measures. In this era of news twisting and propaganda, the government should be ahead of itinerary peddlers of outright falsehoods and half-truths that could send wrong signals, thereby create more confusion in the society. As a matter of corporate social responsibility, both public and private television and radio stations should use their platforms to feature veterinary and human medical experts to give correct information about rabies disease in man and animals to the populace.
Furthermore, it is very important to review the method of organizing mass anti rabies vaccination programs in the State. Peri-urban and rural areas should be prioritized because of the density of dogs in those localities. Most dog owners in the cities could afford to visit veterinary clinics and hospitals to vaccinate their dogs since they have the opportunity of either visiting private or public veterinary clinics or hospitals.
This is not so in most peri-urban and rural areas, where they still believe that rabies disease is a demonic attack! The era of staying at the market square or a fixed location to carry out vaccination of dog and cats against rabies is over. Until similar efforts deployed to kick polio out of Nigeria through house to house visitation is used to vaccinate dogs and cats, the anti -rabies vaccination coverage would remain very low, with vaccines not reaching the neighborhoods where they are mostly needed. Oyo State could rightly pioneer this in Nigeria.
The recent occurrence has also lent credence to the fact that the concept of ‘One Health’ should not be treated as a mere slogan.
The benefits of the practice of the concept cannot be over-emphasized. Effective clinical management, prevention and control of rabies rest on the tripartite cooperation and collaboration between veterinarians, physicians and social workers/ extension service providers/ communicators etc.
The Veterinarian and the Physicians needs to share information in order to arrive at correct diagnosis of rabies. The Veterinarian is in charge of the animal component of rabies (vaccination history, quarantine of the suspected rabid dog and post mortem examination by a Veterinary Pathologist, if the dog dies, to confirm the disease after the examination of the brain of the suspected rabid dog for pathognomonic lesions). The physician is in charge of clinical management of the victim (resting on the report of the veterinarian).
The extension service providers and communicators are in charge of simplifying the message and propagating it in a way that everyone would be carried along.
This synergy is the key to eliminate this ancient zoonotic disease. The earlier this is adopted, the better.
In conclusion, at the Society for Animal Rights Protection, we humbly recommend to His Excellency, the executive Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, FNSE, that, all the thirty-eight (38) Veterinary Doctors, whose superlative performance at the computer based test was adjudged to be the best among all categories of candidates should be considered for appointment in the Department of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. This is crucial because, currently, only fourteen (14) veterinary doctors are in charge of veterinary duties and responsibilities in the 33 Local Government Areas and 35 Local Council Development Areas.
This implies huge personnel deficit and wide gap in the efficiency of service delivery. The government should not allow this crop of brilliant young men and women who are determined to contribute their quota to bridge the existing gap in the development of animal health sector in the state to be disappointed. Their expertise is needed in the overall interest of the State.
For the sake of emphasis, rabies kills faster than AIDS. Rabies is a disease with proven fatality of about 99.9% (when symptoms have set-in in the victim). The good news is that it is 100% preventable through vaccination of dogs from three months of age.
We anxiously await the outcome of the on-going epizootiological and epidemiological investigations to unravel the mystery surrounding the rabies epidemic in Oyo State.
Until then, tell your neighbor………go and vaccinate your dog against rabies, keep your dogs away from the street…..
Our hearts go out to the families of the victims. May the Almighty God grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Dr. Ibikunle Faramade is a Veterinary Pathologist, Sustainable Development Practitioner, Animal Welfare Advocate and a Lecturer at the Federal College of Animal Health & Production Technology, Apata. Ibadan. He’s the C.E.O of the Society for Animal Rights Protection, SARP, a non-profit and non-governmental organisation dedicated to the promotion of animal welfare, animal rights and prevention of cruelty to animals. animalrightsprotection2020@gmail.com, +2348028305284, 08101614827.
