6 people die of dog bite in Kapisa

MAHMOOD RAQI (Pajhwok): Stray dogs have bitten nearly 150 people during the past two months and six of them have died of rabies in central Kapisa province, residents said on Saturday.

Most of the dog bite incidents occurred in parts of Ala Sayee and Kohistan-1 districts. They said the increasing number of stray dogs had created panic among people.

Dilawar, who lives in the Sharokhel area of Ala Sayee district, said his daughter was among the dead. He added one dog had bitten five residents in a single day.

“I took my daughter to a hospital in Panjsher province, where she received first medical aid. When I brought her back to Kapisa, she was vaccinated at the main civil hospital. But she died after 18 days.

“My question is why the vaccine did not work. It was either substandard or expired,” Dilawar said.

The incubation period for rabies is usually one to three months, though it can be as short as a week and as long as a year.

Another Ala Sayee resident, Mohammad Qasim, said four of the five men bitten by a stray dog in a single day had died despite their vaccination within hours.

He said the victims included young girls and women. Families of another three people being treated for dog bites are concerned about the vaccine’s effectiveness.

Kohistani-1 district residents said nearly 70 people received dog bites in a single day last month.

A doctor and resident of the district, Roohullah, said a 10-grader, who was bitten by a stray dog, had died. The remaining patients have been taken to Kabul for treatment, he said.

He said the anti-rabies vaccine was either substandard or it had not been properly preserved.

A resident of the Adizai area in Tagab district, Lulfur Rahman, said they were deeply concerned about the increasing number of unconfined dogs and ineffective anti-rabies vaccine.

A tribal elder of Ala Sayee district, Malik Mohammad Jan, told Pajhwok Afghan News that residents used to carry wooden sticks with them to avoid being bitten by stray dogs. He said residents also kept their children indoors.

Public Health Director Mirza Mohammad Reja said so far 108 people with dog-bite injuries had been delivered to the civil hospital and all of them had been vaccinated.

He said they had launched campaigns in various parts of the province to get rid of stray dogs and so far nearly 200 such animals had been killed and the drive was ongoing.

He rejected the claim that the anti-rabies vaccines were ineffective or substandard, but provided no figures for those having died of rabies.

ma

Visits: 7