Woman dies of dog bite

rabies awareness

Ho, May 17, GNA - A 26-year old woman is reported to have died of rabies after she was bitten by a dog at Nyive, near Ho.

The mother of two was said to have reported at a clinic at Nyive on April 19, this year, with fever and was later diagnosed of rabies.

Dr. Esther Amemor, Ho Municipal Veterinary Officer, who briefed the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said, the woman was first referred to the Ho Municipal Hospital and then to the Volta Regional Hospital, where she died the following day.

She described the death as pathetic and expressed worry about the increasing dog bite cases with several of the animals being confirmed or suspected of having rabies in the Municipality.

Dr. Amemor said a total of 12 dog bite cases in humans were recorded in the Municipality between January and April this year as well as 10 cases in the latter part of 2012.    

She said there was an outbreak of rabies in goats in January this year and attributed the situation to the lack of anti-rabies campaign in the Municipal area for the past seven years.

Dr. Amemor said the Municipal area has over 5,676 dogs and 8,776 cats, according to a census conducted in 2010 and commended the Ho Municipal Assembly for providing 2000 doses of anti-rabies vaccine to vaccinate the pets later this month.

GNA