World Rabies Day held in Windhoek
Ministry of Environment and Tourism held the World Rabies Day- Rabies Awareness Campaign, in UN Plaza, Katutura, on the 28th September 2011. The event was officiated by Honourable Minister, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
Rabies is an endemic disease in Namibia affecting both man, domestic as well as wild animals. The classical rabies virus can be split into two distinct types, one affecting canids including jackals, the other affecting mongoose.
According to the facts, in Namibia there is also an unusual form affecting kudu, which first appeared in 1975 near Windhoek. This outbreak caused very large losses to the kudu population, with between 30 000 and 50,000 kudu having died by 1985. This amounted to about 20% of the national kudu population. In 2002/3 another outbreak near Omaruru and Wilhelmstal resulted in an estimated 2,500 kudu deaths, and since that time kudu are regularly found in many parts of Namibia to be rabid and to succumb to the disease.
When wildlife such as Jackals and Kudus suffer from Rabies, they became friendly to people and that is dangerous. For the Jackals can become aggressive and bite.
Through the combined effort of all Namibians together with the Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Education and the Environment it should be possible to minimize the impact that this lethal disease can have on people and animals alike.
Hon. Minister urged the Namibian nation to be aware of this fatal disease to ensure that your dogs are vaccinated against rabies, and if any of you, your family or friends are bitten by a dog or jackal to go immediately to the nearest medical facility and seek qualified help.