Seminar on treatment, control of rabies today held at Agriculture University Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi:A one-day seminar to discuss effective ways and means for treatment and control of rabies in both humans and animals will be held here at Pir Mehar Ali Shah -Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (AAUR) today (Thursday).
The faculty of veterinary and animal sciences at the AAUR has arranged the seminar on rabies treatment and control, undoubtedly one of the most neglected fields in Pakistan as rabies claims some 2,000 to 5,000 lives annually according to data prepared on the basis of reported cases only.
AAUR Vice Chancellor Dr Khalid Mehmood would be the chief guest, while the seminar would be attended by members and senior students of faculty of veterinary and animal sciences at the AAUR.Dean faculty of veterinary and animal sciences at the university Dr Naimatullah has organised the seminar, said Associate Professor of the faculty Dr Manzoor Husain while talking toThe News here Wednesday, adding National Coordinator of Rabies Prevention & Control Programme at National Institute of Health, Islamabad Dr Shahab Akhtar Kazi will deliver a lecture on rabies prevalence, diagnosis and treatment in humans.
Research Officer at Veterinary Research Institute, Lahore Dr Zafar Qureshi would deliver a lecture on outbreak of rabies in mules while Assistant Research Officer and In-charge Flury Section at VRI Dr Hafiz M Noman would deliver a lecture on diagnosis of rabies in animals.The main objective of the seminar is to discuss current status and possible strategy for control on rabies in Pakistan, said Dr Manzoor.
Dr Shahab Akhtar Kazi when contacted byThe News said the seminar might help in seeking attention of health experts and other concerned authorities for control and treatment of the viral disease.
A virus carried in the saliva of infected animal causes rabies, a severe viral disease. Rabies is fatal if not treated properly. It affects the central nervous systems of most warm-blooded animals and victims of such animal bites have to be immediately vaccinated. After exposing to the disease, the victims survival is impossible so the disease is said to be 100 per cent fatal to both animals and humans after exposure.
There are safe and effective vaccines available for people who have been bitten by an animal who might have the disease, but usage in developing countries like Pakistan is low due to the high cost and misconceptions and taboos. More than 55,000 people die each year, an average of one death every 10 minutes, mostly in areas of the world, which still have thedog-to-dog type of rabies transmission. And even more shocking fact is that a large percentage of deaths (more than 60%) are children under 15 years of age. More than 100 children die from rabies worldwide every day. Overall, one person is killed by this disease every 10 minutes. An estimated 10 million people receive post-exposure treatments each year after being exposed to rabies suspect animals.
Annual number of dog bites in Pakistan is 100,000 to 150,000, recorded on the basis on reported cases only and the disease claims 2000-5000 deaths every year.
Rabies, the poor mans disease, is said to be the mother of all infectious diseases and it is believed that nothing can be more painful and horrific than rabies. Rabies also known asHydrophobia (fear of water) is an acute infectious zoonotic disease of the central nervous system, which affects almost all mammals, including humans.
Dr. Kazi said that prevention and control on rabies is possible only when general public would be aware of its complications and would take the problem as seriously as it is.
To a query, he said that funds for activities of National Rabies Prevention & Control Program have not been released as yet,However I hope that the funds would be released within a month, he said and added they have planned to hold a number of awareness seminars all across the country soon after the release of funds.
