Health authorities at the Nyamlel County Hospital in Northern Bahr el Ghazal have urged relatives of those bitten by dogs to have them taken to the health facility for anti-rabies vaccine jabs.
Rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease. It can spread to people and pets if they are bitten or scratched by a rabid animal.
The call comes after the hospital recorded seven incidences of wild bog bites at Anyup-jang village in Aweil West County this week.
“I want relatives or family members of those bitten by wild dogs to help them get ant-rabies vaccines as soon as possible despite the challenges,” said Lual Lual deputy medical director at the hospital.
He said two of the seven people whom the hospital was treating for dog attacks are still under medical attention.
The first dose of the four-dose course should be administered as soon as possible after exposure. Additional doses should be administered on days 3, 7, and 14 after the first vaccination, according to Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention (CDC).
For adults, the vaccination should always be administered intramuscularly in the deltoid area (arm).
Officials claim that a full ant rabies vaccines cost over 60,000 South Sudanese Pounds (approximately $55) at private clinics.
A parent whose her 7-year-old child was bitten by a dog agreed with the call, saying she must find a way to have her child vaccinated against rabies despite her financial constraints.
“Provision of supports only for funeral is not good. I would like people to help those looking for treatment. It is better to sell a cow or goat for treatment because life is more important than resources,” Elizabeth Akuol Akok told Akol Yam on Monday.