By PHILIP YATAI

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has confirmed eight rabies cases and two deaths in the territory, urging residents to vaccinate their dogs and cats to curb the virus’ spread.

The Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat of the FCTA confirmed the rabies outbreak to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

The Director of Veterinary Services in the secretariat, Dr Karnak Dandam, told NAN that two persons, one in Gwagwalada and the other in Kwali Area Councils of the FCT, died from rabid dog bites.

Specifically, Dandam said that eight cases were recorded, five in Gwagwalada and three in Kwali Area Councils, out of which two persons lost their lives.

He said measures were already taken to curb the spread and asked residents to report dog bites.

Dandam described rabies as a “deadly viral disease that attacks the central nervous system” and transmitted through the bite of an infected dog or cat.

He said that the symptoms in humans include fever, headache, fatigue, and pain or tingling at the site of the bite, followed by anxiety, confusion, hallucinations and barking like a dog.

In dogs, he said the symptoms include excessive salivation, difficulty swallowing, hallucination, hanging jaws, aggression to the owner and a severe fear of water referred to as hydrophobia.

He warned that the virus is fatal, adding that once symptoms appear in humans, survival is rare.

Dandam said the immediate remedy after a bite “is to wash the bite areas with soap and plenty of water as first aid and immediately present the victim to medical personnel for treatment”.

The director said that the cases were recorded in March and June, adding that samples were taken to the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom, in Plateau for confirmation.

“There are eight confirmed cases of samples taken for testing at the National Reference Laboratory, NVRI, and they came out positive.

“The first samples we took to Vom this year was in March and the result came out the same month.

“The second samples were in early June and the result came out on June 15,” he said

He explained that the secretariat had carried out vaccination campaigns for dogs and cats across the FCT in Dec. 2025 and Jan. 2026, adding however, that the vaccines could not go round due to shortage of the doses.

The director equally said that the secretariat had intensified its awareness campaigns, advising residents to confine their dogs and cats after vaccination to stop them from straying, as part of measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

“The secretariat is also sensitising residents across the six area councils to taking their dogs and cats to designated public and private veterinary clinics for rabies vaccination and certification.

“Everybody has to restrict his or her dog and cats, so that they will not be roaming the streets and become exposed to infected rabid dogs,” he said.

Dandam said that the FCT Administration has taken steps to procure the needed doses of the vaccines and would soon begin a mass vaccination exercise in all villages and towns in the six area councils of the FCT.

This, according to him, is to ensure that all dogs and cats are vaccinated in every community in the territory.

“Anywhere there is a dog and a cat, we will visit, vaccinate and give the owners a certificate of vaccination and license. That’s our plan,’’ he said.

The director also urged residents to pay close attention to sudden changes in the behaviours of their dogs and cats which could be signs of rabies.

“The major clinical sign that the owner will notice is that the dog that has been friendly suddenly becomes apprehensive and aggressive and starts attacking without provocation.

“The first sign is that the dog will seclude itself, lay in a quiet place and will not be interested in any activity.

“When the rabies gradually develops, the dog will suddenly become apprehensive and start attacking any object that it comes across, even the owner will not be spared.

“As the disease advances, the dog will start roaming around with its jaw widely open, which will progress to paralysis and eventual death within 10 days of the onset of clinical signs,” he said. (NAN)

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