By NewsDesk @bactiman63
A case of human rabies was confirmed from Limpopo Province in March 2021, according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD). The case involved a 7-year-old boy who was admitted to hospital, unable to walk or eat, with progressive paralysis, and experiencing confusion and hallucinations.
He had been bitten by a dog two months earlier in Thohoyandou, Vhembe District.
Rabies virus was detected using RT-PCR on a saliva sample collected from the child.
This is the second confirmed human rabies case in South Africa for 2021 to date. The other case was reported from Kwazulu-Natal Province.
NICD says rabies deaths can be prevented with post-exposure prophylaxis. This involves wound cleaning, rabies vaccination, and direct wound infiltration with rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) if indicated.
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