Chris Makhaye

Four people from the south Durban township of Folweni are being closely monitored by doctors and nurses after they were bitten by a stray dog last week. The dog later tested positive for rabies.

After biting the four, the dog was cornered by members of the community who stoned it to death. Its carcass was then tested by doctors and it was found that it had rabies.

Dr Oyo Olowolagba, eThekwini municipality’s deputy head of communicable disease service, said the carcass was taken to the laboratory and the results confirmed the dog had rabies.

Rabies killed at least five people in KwaZulu-Natal last year. These include an eight-year-old boy from Bergville and a farmer from Underberg who was also bitten by a stray dog.

The KZN province’s department of agriculture has since run a vaccination programme targeting dogs and cats throughout the province.

Olowolagba said the four bite victims received treatment at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital and were later referred to clinics in their areas for further care.

Dog owners had a responsibilty to take their animals to a veterinarian once a year, he said.

chrism@thenewage.co.za