Rabies outbreak virus has been confirmed in Kwande and Gboko Local Government Areas of Benue by the State Government .
Dr. Aondoakaa Asambe, theDirector-General, Benue Bureau of Livestock Development and Trans boundary Animal Diseases Control, made this known yesterday in Makurdi, the state capital.
According to Asambe, the bureau was alerted to suspected rabies cases following reports of a dog bite affecting multiple individuals in Adikpo, Kwande, and Gboko councils.
He noted that in all, seven persons were bitten by the two dogs, adding that the government has commenced contact tracing to identify those involved.
The DG emphasized that investigations revealed the infected dog in Adikpo was sold to vendors to process for consumption.
“Thankfully, the dog’s head was retrieved and submitted to the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) in Vom, Plateau, where laboratory results confirmed the presence of the rabies virus.
“Rabies is a deadly zoonotic disease with serious implications for both human and animal health.
“According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), over 55,000 people lose their lives to rabies annually, with most cases resulting from dog bites.
“This outbreak serves as a sobering reminder of the need for urgent action to meet the WHO’s 2030 target to eliminate dog bite-transmitted rabies.” he said
Asambe added that the result also showed that the dog bite in Gboko local government was also a rabies case.
