By Gabriel Olawale

ONE thing that  the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, NVMA Lagos Chapter, wants the Lagos State House of Assembly to do is  enact a law that will ensure responsible pet ownership in the state.

The genesis of this request is on the premise of the untimely deaths of Musa James, a 14-year-old JSS 1 student, 21-year-old Aishat Opakunle a fresh OND graduate, as a result of a bite from a rabid dog.
Making the call in  Lagos,  the Chairman, Dr. Alao Mobolaji, said the deaths could have been prevented with  immunisation.

“Both James and Aishat reside at A114 Road 1A, Mologede Estate, Meiran, Lagos. They were reported to have been bitten on the 11th of July, 2014 by a neighbourhood dog named ‘Jerry’, a mongrel belonging to one Mr. Ogundiran. Aishat Opakunle died Friday, 8th of August, 2014, while James died after a brief battle for his life. Both showed signs of rabies which include fever, delirium, abnormal behaviour, numbness and loss of muscle function, drooling of saliva. The suspect dog died five days after biting these two young people.

Further, he said: “We spoke with the boy just a day before he passed on, and he was already showing critical signs of the disease, and unfortunately the following day around 7pm, he passed away.”

As explained by Mobolaji, James was bitten in the face and hand, with the marks still showing by the time he was seen. “He didn’t tell anybody until Aisha died and they raised alarm that she died showing the same sign that was the day his own crises started.”

Noting that such untimely death from dog bite was uncalled for, Mobolaji said rabies is a disease that is highly preventable by simple immunisation and has even been completely eradicated from some parts of the world.
Calling on the state government for immediate removal of all stray dogs in Meiran Area of Alimosho LGA and screened for any possible of rabies infection.

“The government should institute a compulsory pet registration programme complete with animal identification tagging and enforcement of leash laws and massive awareness against rabies to be embarked upon in all existing local governments around the state. Presentation of up-to-date vaccination certificate of pets by a qualified veterinary surgeon is medical practitioner, Dr. Ajala Tayo, explained that whenever somebody is bitten by a dog,  the first thing the person should do is to wash the spot with soap and running water before going to the hospital for further medical attention.

“Most rabies cases are from multiple bites, even the owner can be a victim. The dog that bit James on the 11th August, had started showing signs of  rabies. When a dog starts showing such signs, the owner should have taken the dog to the veterinary doctor to be quarantined for 10 days during which if dog was rabid, it would die. The dog in question died August 17, five days after the reported bite.

Before clinical signs start in man, the wound might have healed but once the clinical sign of rabies start, there is no known drug that can prevent death. That is what makes rabies so sad and painful. The disease could have been prevented  with just one vaccination,” she noted.