By Don Asoka Wijewardena
Director of Public Health Veterinary Services Dr. P. A. L. Harischandra said that 49 persons had died of rabies in 2010 and 33 in 2011. Every year around 55,000 people die of rabies and 31,000 of the deaths are reported from Asian countries. Young children, under 15 years of age, were liable to contract rabies through domesticated pets such as cats and dogs. Although. in some parts of the country the spread of the rabies virus had been eliminated, rabies spread in the Wamyaba province had been on the rise.
Rabies which was a virus could be fatal if timely medical attention was not sought, he said at a media conference on Rabies Elimination by 2016 at Health Education Bureau auditorium on November 24.
Dr. Harischandra said that the rabies virus attacks the central nervous system of a human being. The commonest symptoms were headache, fever, sore throat, profuse saliva emitting and convulsion.
There was one dog for every seven persons in Sri Lanka.
He added that when a dog bit a person, he or she was required to wash the place with soap or germicide and seek medical attention from the nearest hospital. In 1971 rabies was declared as notifiable disease.
Consultant Viroloigist, Head Department of Rabies, MRI Dr. Ms. Omala Wimalaratne said that most dog bites were due to unruly behaviour of people, especially children. It was always better to avoid stray dogs. When visiting houses one must be extra-careful of the presence of dogs, biting dogs should be put into kennels, unnecessary jokes and pulling dogs inflicting pain would cause anger to the animal.
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=40114
Director of Public Health Veterinary Services Dr. P. A. L. Harischandra said that 49 persons had died of rabies in 2010 and 33 in 2011. Every year around 55,000 people die of rabies and 31,000 of the deaths are reported from Asian countries. Young children, under 15 years of age, were liable to contract rabies through domesticated pets such as cats and dogs. Although. in some parts of the country the spread of the rabies virus had been eliminated, rabies spread in the Wamyaba province had been on the rise.
Rabies which was a virus could be fatal if timely medical attention was not sought, he said at a media conference on Rabies Elimination by 2016 at Health Education Bureau auditorium on November 24.
Dr. Harischandra said that the rabies virus attacks the central nervous system of a human being. The commonest symptoms were headache, fever, sore throat, profuse saliva emitting and convulsion.
There was one dog for every seven persons in Sri Lanka.
He added that when a dog bit a person, he or she was required to wash the place with soap or germicide and seek medical attention from the nearest hospital. In 1971 rabies was declared as notifiable disease.
Consultant Viroloigist, Head Department of Rabies, MRI Dr. Ms. Omala Wimalaratne said that most dog bites were due to unruly behaviour of people, especially children. It was always better to avoid stray dogs. When visiting houses one must be extra-careful of the presence of dogs, biting dogs should be put into kennels, unnecessary jokes and pulling dogs inflicting pain would cause anger to the animal.
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=40114
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