Chijioke Iremeka Across the country, dog ownership has increased astronomically and the love for these pets, which come in varying breeds and are bought at exorbitant prices, is splashed all over social media. Several neighbourhoods have also seen a rise in the number of dogs taken for walks by their owners. Based on this, epidemiologists and public health physicians have expressed grave concern over a likely surge in rabies disease and called for consistent vaccination of dogs and puppies to reduce the risk of transmission among humans.
According to them, rabies, a deadly viral disease transmitted through the saliva of infected animals, poses a significant public health threat in Nigeria, noting that though preventable, it remains a persistent challenge, particularly in rural areas where access to healthcare, especially vaccination, diagnosis, and awareness about the disease are limited. According to the experts, rabies is primarily transmitted to humans through the bite of infected animals, most commonly dogs, noting that in Nigeria, where stray dogs roam freely, the risk of rabies transmission is heightened. According to the World Health Organisation, rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic, viral disease affecting the central nervous system but once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is virtually 100 per cent fatal.
It noted that rabies is one of the neglected tropical diseases that predominantly affects already marginalised, poor and vulnerable populations, saying that e.
