SPEECH PRESENTED BY DR GANI ENAHORO, PRESIDENT NIGERIAN
VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (NVMA) AT THE PRESS
CONFERENCE HELD IN ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE TO MARK 2012 WORLD
RABIES DAY IN NIGERIA ON FRIDAY, 28TH SEPTEMBER 2012.
Today is World Rabies Day, like all 28th day of September every year. The day
was officially declared in 2007 to raise the awareness of societies on human and
animal rabies. Rabies is a disease of animals that also can affect humans. It is a
major public health concern worldwide, killing many people every year.
In animals, it is 100% preventable due to the major advancement of veterinary
medicine through the use of vaccination of animals against the disease. All that is
required is for pet owners to consult their Veterinary Doctors and immunise their
pets as prescribed either annually or when the facility is available, upon a
decreased or less than acceptable antibody titre against rabies. In that case the
booster dose may not necessarily be yearly.
Man contracts Rabies only through contacts with a rabid animal through bites or
contact of saliva that has rabies viruses with open wounds. Similarly, the
sensitive parts of the human body such as mucous membranes of eyes or mouth
or by extension, broken skin are the surest sources through which rabies viruses
can penetrate humans.
We seek to save man from Rabies disease: first by canvassing to the public
through every medium to own their animals, especially the pets, very responsibly
by registering all of them with the nearest Veterinary Clinics and Animal
Hospitals. These pets should be given water and fed very well daily and must
have access to preventive and curative veterinary medical needs, including
vaccination against viral diseases, chiefly Rabies disease.
All pets must be adequately housed and protected from the vagaries of weather.
They should also not be in contact with wild animals which have been identified
as a huge reservoir of most viral diseases, including rabies. Hunters must be
educated in this regard. Let them not always rejoice heroically at a successful
hunting expedition, for they may have killed a rabid bush animal for sale as meat
to the unsuspecting public. The rabies virus contaminated saliva from such
animals may be a source of danger to those with broken skin who may have
contacts with them. Our cultural acceptance of bush meat as delicacies is daily
being considered old fashioned by medical and scientific discoveries, which have
traced most virulent viruses in animals and humans to the wild. It is important
therefore to take caution and if possible avoid the eating of bush meat that are
not normally inspected by trained Veterinarians. This is for public health reasons.
In conclusion, we call on the Federal Government to show more than a passive
interest in the prevalence of rabies, a clinical condition reported to be more
common in the developing countries, where illiteracy has always being a
challenge. The security concerns in Nigeria presently have increased the number
of people who patronise dogs as guards. We also recognise and appreciate
traditional companion animal lovers who keep pets in their homes and so many
others who also hunt with them. Some of these owners may be indigent as not to
be able to afford the required veterinary and other needs of their animals. For
some, it may be due to complete ignorance. This makes it necessary for
individuals to spread the message of caution to their neighbours to enhance
safety precautions. There should therefore be a planned Animal Health
Insurance Scheme (AHIS) that would cater for these indigent owners, in the
overall interest of the general public. Governments should also establish "Dog
Homes", with a full complement of trained and qualified staff to cater for rescued
stray or poorly owned dogs. These facilities would allow for adequate
rehabilitation of such abused dogs for eventual ownership by responsible
families, like it is done in civilized countries including parts of Africa.
DR GANI ENAHORO
PRESIDENT, NIGERIAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.