Johannesburg - Owners of rabid dogs in Gauteng will receive heavy fines if their unvaccinated dogs bite people, the Gauteng Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza has warned.
"In South Africa, we have good laws but the challenge is that we don't enforce such laws. As Gauteng, we are going to be very strict against pet owners if their rabid dogs bite our people. There will be no more lenient fines - it is compulsory for all dogs and cats to be vaccinated against rabies," said the MEC.
She added that the outbreak of rabies in Gauteng was fully under control.
The province will celebrate World Rabies Day in Bopheleng township in the Sedibeng district on 28 September. The event will be aimed at raising awareness about the impact of human and animal rabies and how easy is to prevent.
Rabies is a disease affecting the brain, which leads to the death of the person or animal involved. Symptoms vary widely and include behavioral changes, aggressiveness and paralysis. These symptoms can occur seven to six months after being infected with the virus, which occurs in the saliva of rabid dogs.
"The most vulnerable group is children under the age of 15. This group is more likely to be bitten by dogs and is also more likely to be severely exposed through multiple bites in high-risk sites on the body," Mayathula-Khoza said.
Although the disease is 100 percent preventable, it still accounts for over 55 000 deaths mostly in Africa and Asia per year. However, rabies is incurable.
In South Africa, between 2006 and 2012, a total of 106 deaths have been caused by rabies.
"We would like to reiterate that rabies is a controlled disease. It is completely preventable through vaccination which is compulsory by law. The pet and human populations can only be protected if at least 70 percent of pets have been vaccinated.
"We are urging people to report all suspect cases to their nearest state veterinarian," said the MEC.
