No reason to panic over KZN rabies outbreak

A 2-year-old boy from Bhamshela, outside Tongaat on the north coast died after being bitten by a rabid dog late last month.

The department visited the boy's family this week, where it announced an aggressive six month vaccination plan targeting key areas in the province.

Kevin le Roux, who also works with the World Health Organisation, said communities have nothing to worry about, as the measures adopted in KwaZulu-Natal to tackle rabies are among the best on the continent.

“KwaZulu-Natal has basically been classified as having the best rabies control system in the whole of Africa. We have just produced the final paper for the World Health Organisation on how to eliminate the disease in the whole of Africa. The KwaZulu-Natal example is being used across Africa,” he said.

Le Roux says education is key when it come to combating rabies.