Suspected human rabies case causes scare in Kaduna— Report

A suspected case of rabies in humans has caused panic in Kaduna with the Kaduna State Residents Veterinary Doctors Association calling on residents of the state to take precautions.

 

Dr Khalifa Aliyu, Chairman of the association made the call in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Kaduna.

 

Aliyu said that the call became necessary following a suspected case of human rabies in a teenage boy, currently hospitalised at the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, Kaduna.

 

“The patient has shown traits of rabies infection; he was seen biting humans, objects, papers, wood, and tongue thrusting along the street.

 

“Investigation revealed that the patient had contact with a rodenticide and later ate his food without washing his hands.

 

“We hereby call on the general public to be wary of stray dogs around that axis and report any dog bite to the nearest government clinic or Ministry of Agriculture,” he said.

 

The chairman, however, said that all necessary measures were put in place to contain further spread of the virus, adding that the patient’s condition was stable.