Pretoria - The health department has warned people who have been in direct contact with a rabies infected dog to contact their nearest health facility to receive the correct treatment.
Department of Health's Chief Director for the Centre for Communicable Diseases, Dr Frew Benson said: "Rabies is 100 percent preventable if one seeks health care immediately after being bitten, scratched or licked by an animal suspected to be infected with rabies. There are safe and effective vaccines available for people who have been bitten or exposed to an animal that might have the disease."
Dr Benson was speaking after a media breakfast with rabies experts in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
The event was organised by the Department of Health in partnership with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and Sanofi Pateur to discuss and share information on rabies control, prevention and treatment programmes.
Dr Benson warned that although the disease was preventable, it caused thousands of human deaths each year. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 55 000 human deaths occur worldwide, annually - this includes one death and 300 exposures every 15 minutes.
NICD Deputy Director Professor Lucille Bloomberg said animal rabies was present throughout South Africa and neighbouring countries, with about 10 human cases being confirmed annually in the country.
"In 2006, one of our provinces experienced an outbreak, which resulted in more than 30 cases being confirmed nationally. Most of those who succumbed to the disease were bitten by rabid dogs. They did not attend health care facilities for treatment and therefore did not receive the correct or any post-exposure prophylaxis," said Professor Bloomberg.
In an effort to curb the disease, the Health Department is initiating a partnership campaign to fight rabies, which will run until World Rabies Day on 28 September.
The campaign, which will be commemorated under the theme "Working Together to Make Rabies History", has brought together various stakeholders, including the Department of Agriculture, NICD, WHO and the private sector to increase awareness and risk factors involved.
