Upper East Region records 32 cases of rabbies amid shortage of post exposure vaccines

Correspondence from the Upper East Region

The Upper East Region recorded 32 positive cases of rabies in 2025. All 32 cases involved dogs that were retrieved after incidents of strange or suspected mad dog bites. Samples for this year are yet to be sent for laboratory testing.

Speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb's Correspondent, Sarah Dubure, the Upper East Regional Veterinary Officer, Dr Henry Nii Ayi Anang, described the rising incidence of dog bites in the region as disturbing, noting that confirmed cases are becoming increasingly alarming.

He explained that the figures represent only reported cases, stressing that many incidents go unreported.

“So let’s imagine those in the villages who do not have access to quality healthcare,” he quizzed.

Dr Anang explained that when people are bitten by dogs, they are usually given post-exposure vaccines immediately to fight the rabies virus transmitted through the bite.

However, he expressed concern over the shortage of the vaccine in the public health system, noting that it is currently available only in private facilities at a high cost.

“Currently, people source the vaccine privately, and with that, there is a profit margin involved. As it stands now, the least amount you can get it for is about GH¢800,” he said.

Dr.Anang emphasized that rabies is a disease of high public health importance and should therefore be treated as such, advocating for free or subsidized vaccination.

“The post-exposure vaccine for humans should be made free or subsidized because if animals are properly controlled, there is no way humans can contract rabies,” he pointed out.

“And here is the case: we do not have the animal vaccine, and the human vaccine is also out of the system,” he lamented.

He further noted that anyone bitten by a rabid dog faces almost certain death if treatment is not administered promptly.

Dr Anang explained that rabies is transmitted through the saliva of infected warm-blooded animals, mainly through bites or scratches.

“The reason we mention scratches is that cats and dogs are neat animals that lick themselves as a form of bathing,” he explained.

“When saliva gets onto their claws and they scratch a person, and it enters an open wound, it can go straight into the nervous system.”

He stressed the need for dog bite victims to treat such incidents with urgency by immediately reporting to health facilities, where they will be referred to the Veterinary Office for observation of the dog involved.

He also emphasized the importance of bringing the biting dog for testing.

“We need the head of the dog to send to the laboratory to confirm whether it is rabid or not before we can determine the appropriate treatment,” he said.

Dr Anang recalled an incident where his office nearly lost the opportunity to test a suspected rabid dog because it was hurriedly killed for meat.

“One day, a boy came to report that a dog had bitten his sister and that the dog had been killed. I asked him to bring the head of the dog, but he said it had already been eaten. When he went back, they were about to smoke the meat. We managed to send the head to the lab, and it tested positive, so we advised that the sister be sent to the hospital immediately,” he recounted.

He urged victims of dog bites to report to the Veterinary Office for follow-up and monitoring.

Dr Anang also appealed to parents to be approachable and encourage their children to report dog bite incidents, rather than concealing such critical information out of fear.

He noted that rabies is preventable and encouraged pet owners to ensure their animals are properly cared for and vaccinated.

“When you have a puppy, at three months you come for the first shot. After that, the dog should be vaccinated against rabies every year,” he advised.

Dr Anang disclosed that the increasing number of cases compelled the Regional Office to write to the headquarters, which subsequently supplied vaccines. He added that about 6,000 doses have already been administered.

He appealed to the government to implement a free rabies vaccination policy to help curb the disease.

“That is why we are appealing to the government that just as free vaccinations are provided for polio, the same should be done for rabies,” he said.

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