Stray dogs. (File/Courtesy)

Aggressive stray dogs have bitten nine people at two payams in Aweil North County in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, according to the commissioner.

Kiir Chan Wol said in an interview with Eye Radio that these incidents happened in Meling-Mer and Kiir-Adem areas.

He said there are fears that the dog bites can spread rabies which poses significant health and safety risks. Mr. Wol added that immediate action is needed to address the prevalence of stray dogs through vaccination.

“In Juac Payam, a crazy dog bit 6 people inside the Western Korok market. Another person was bitten in a cattle camp, and we are now in the follow-up procedures.”

“These people were taken to Aweil Hospital for treatment. Secondly, in Meling-Mer and Kiir-Adem, another crazy dog bit three people, and they are now being taken to Gok Machar Hospital for treatment.”

Dog and cat bites are responsible for 99% of rabies – a vaccine-preventable viral disease affecting the central nervous system, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Rabies spreads to people and animals via saliva, usually through bites, scratches, or direct contact with mucosa (e.g. eyes, mouth, or open wounds). Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is virtually 100% fatal.

Globally there are an estimated 59,000 deaths from rabies annually. However, documented case numbers often differ from the estimate due to underreporting.

Last year, Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi said exposure to rabies resulting from dog bites has significantly increased in the country, with 185 dog bite cases being reported since January 2023.

He spoke at the celebration of World Rabies Day where 5,000 residents of Northern Bahr el Ghazal including dog owners participated. The country’s Health Sector Strategic Plan seeks to eliminate rabies by 2030.