Dr Mbuso Moyo

In July, key stakeholders in Bulawayo led by the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), Bulawayo City Council (BCC) and Special Prevention of Cruelty in Animals (SPCA) strategised on a rabies control programme. 

Among the key highlights of the programme will be mass vaccination of all dogs in the city. There will be a follow up after the vaccination in September, to destroy all dogs not vaccinated. September 28 is Rabies Day and this programme further highlights the need to create awareness in residents of both the City and beyond. All dog and cat owners should be aware of the programme so that their pets are brought to support the tie up order. 

The major aim of this programme is to control rabies spread among dogs and to control the spread from dogs to humans. It also aims to control dog population in cities by removing stray dogs as their upkeep is generally problematic and compliance with the Animal Health Act and City By-laws is not followed. The assumption of this activity is that dogs not produced for vaccination do not have owners and hence are high-risk animals to spread the disease. The overall benefit is to improve public health and animal welfare while enforcing the City by-laws and the Animal Health Act.

The vaccination programme is expected to start in mid-August and run in all metropolitan suburbs of Bulawayo with all key stakeholders including the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP). Other stakeholders include the City Health Department (CHD) and the Department of National Parks (Zimparks). The destruction of all dogs that would not have been covered by the vaccination or that would be proved not to have been vaccinated before will resume in September. It should be emphasised that those individuals who had earlier complied with law and have up to date vaccination certificates need not worry. The reference to carry this activity is in the by-laws of the City and the Animal Health Act. It is called the Tie Up Order.

Residents will appreciate that the process of determining a city’s dog population is often a difficult task to undertake and underestimates can lead to the procurement of too little rabies vaccines and subsequent insufficient vaccination coverage. The current estimate is approximately 15 000 dogs (personal communications), but the exact figure is not known. The DVS has secured the vaccine while it has put into consideration that some owners vaccinate their animals way before these programmes begin and that dogs are prolific breeders with the capacity to multiply within a short period. Coverage of over 70 percent has been shown to be scientifically significant if done with good cold chain to make a significant impact in the disease spread.

We are urging every dog and cat owner to present the animal for vaccination to manage the rabies menace that is increasing in Bulawayo. The Animal Health Act stipulates that any dog or cat above three months of age should be vaccinated. These levels of inoculation are expected to limit the spread of rabies among animals and humans.

Rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease that affects warm-blooded animals meaning both animals and humans. Rabies is transmitted through bites of infected animals, mostly from dogs to humans. Jackals and mongoose act as a natural reservoir of the disease and can transmit the disease to dogs or cats which starts the cycle of transmission among domesticated animals and humans. Rabies kills and it is important to note that it is a preventable disease but when symptoms begin to show death is certain. Rabies is a disease of international concern and only 24 out of 107 countries of the world are known to be free of rabies.

Rabies is endemic in Zimbabwe meaning that we are living with it. All exposures (through bites and saliva) to animals of unknown vaccination status should be regarded as suspect rabies. Post exposure treatment of the disease in people has been found to be hundred times more costly than prevention in animals. It costs only $ZW1 to vaccinate a dog or cat or any valuable animal but the cost to prevent it in humans may come 75 fold.

Rabies cases have in the last three years increased in the veterinary districts of Bulawayo and Matabeleland North. The trend is an increase in prevalence of the disease with every year at the same seasons of study in the last three years. While cases are increasing, the diversity of species affected by the disease is also increasing.

In 2018, it was reported that two people succumbed to this disease as it is spiralling out of control. Humans get the disease mostly from dogs due to their close relationship. There is need to view rabies on a similar public approach in awareness as cholera, malaria and HIV/Aids. It should also be noted that some cases may be going unreported or completely mis-diagnosed in both Ministry of Health and Veterinary staff. In the first six months of this year among several cases tested, three dogs were confirmed positive. This disease is mostly reported in peri-urban areas confirming that there may be a strong interaction between urban dogs and wild animals especially jackals and mangoose.

Destruction of dogs and cats will start immediately after the vaccination programme has been completed. All pets found roaming the streets without owners will be put down or captured depending on the circumstances. There will be teams moving from one suburb to the other  on a daily basis. Remember the City by-laws and the Animal Health Act empowers the authorised persons to do so as dogs or cats roaming the streets disturb other residents. Further to that, dogs that are not well looked after may be captured or put to sleep as their owner will not be complying with their welfare requirement standards. 

All the necessary stakeholders will be represented in the team and obviously the ZRP as the main state law enforcement will be leading. Residents are encouraged to support this initiative and avoid mobbing or looking at the destruction. The City Health Department staff attending Rabies Vaccination will not enforce the licensing of dogs during vaccination as we have found this counterproductive on vaccination coverage. Each team will carry a log book to record all the activities relating to the destruction. Each key stakeholder committee will from time to time run the awareness programme on the local radio station, print media, television and other platforms to create awareness among residents on this tie up order.

Stakeholders will run front desks to keep residents informed on the programme. Ideally, this programme, resources allowing, should be done on a yearly basis to enforce animal welfare standards while protecting animals and humans from this killer disease.