Aston Lukoye
Two people have been confirmed dead while seven others are undergoing treatment at the Longisa County Referral Hospital following a rabies outbreak in Bomet County.
According to Bomet governor Dr. Hillary Barchok, the county has purchased 12,000 doses of anti-rabies vaccines which are set to be distributed in the affected areas like Kipreres, Motiret, and Cheboin in the lower sides of Bomet east-sub county. Dr Bachok was speaking during the launch of anti-rabies vaccines.
Longisa ward representative Hon.Stephen Chang’morik also said that a total of 40 dogs were rounded up and vaccinated after an infected dog bit four cattle and a goat.
“We are warning residents of Longisa that a stray wild rabid dog is roaming at Longisa trading center and is dangerous,we are are using all mechanisms to traced it” added Chang’morik
Governor Barchok also stated that 179 cases of rabies had been reported across the county in the previous year.
What is rabies?
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rabies is a preventable viral disease most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The rabies virus infects the central nervous system of mammals, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. The vast majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year occur in wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes, although any mammal can get rabies.
Diagnosis
At the time a potentially rabid animal bites you, there’s no way to know whether the animal has transmitted the rabies virus to you. It’s common not to find bite marks, too. Your doctor may order many tests to detect the rabies virus, but they may need to be repeated later to confirm whether you’re carrying the virus. Your doctor will likely recommend treatment as soon as possible to prevent the rabies virus from infecting your body if there’s a chance you may have been exposed to the rabies virus.
Treatment
Once a rabies infection is established, there’s no effective treatment. Though a small number of people have survived rabies, the disease usually causes death. For that reason, if you think you’ve been exposed to rabies, you must get a series of shots to prevent the infection from taking hold.
