Rabies is a treatable but fatal viral disease that can spread through a scratch or bite from a rabid animal. It is a type of virus that damages the central nervous system and can be prevented by vaccinating pets or avoiding infected wildlife. In the U.S. rabies is commonly carried in animals such as foxes and raccoons. Thanks to the rabies vaccines commonly distributed in the United States, the virus is not as lethal in America. However, the lack of vaccine distributions and accessible healthcare or healthcare personnel has led to increased prevalence of rabies in other parts of the world, a prime example being Kenya.
Human-Pet Rabies Transmission
Image Source: Rebecca Smith
As of 2022, rabies caused around 24,000 deaths per year in Africa. The current treatment involves dog vaccinations and immediate post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for dog-bite patients. The timely responses after a rabies bite requires a handful of healthcare professionals specialized in treating and preventing rabies infections. However, from the statistic alone, regions such as rural Kenya continues to suffer from rabies due to the lack of available healthcare staff, knowledge, and equipment necessary to limit rabies-related death. Chuchu et al. interviewed 73 healthcare workers across multiple healthcare units in Kenya revealed an insufficient knowledge on rabies and rabies management by these employees. Several healthcare staff were unaware of the guidelines for proper PEP administration by the World Health Organization. This can be extremely detrimental to bite patients expecting their wounds to be full healed.
According to the Africa Rabies Expert Bureau (AfroREB), the prevalence of the viral disease is closely tied to the community’s poverty, poor health systems, and education inadequacies. African residents are not sufficiently informed in what to do in the case of dog bites. Sub-Saharan Africa lacks rabies prevention centers where bite victims can receive life-saving vaccine and immunoglobin treatment. Accessibility to such treatment is decreased dramatically to rural populations as rabies prophylaxis may not be affordable or available to impoverished groups of people. With this in mind, proper guidelines and adequate funds centered around rabies treatment can save thousands of lives within rural populations around the world, especially in Kenya.
Featured Image Source: Mat Hayward
