WINDHOEK: Namibia will mark World Rabies Day with an event at the Oniipa Constituency Office in the Oshikoto Region next Thursday.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF) on Friday, MAWF Deputy Minister Petrus Iilonga is scheduled to address this event.

World Rabies Day is observed worldwide annually with the aim of intensifying awareness of the disease in order to eliminate it.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has indicated that the day highlights the impact of human and animal rabies, and promotes how the disease can be prevented and stopped by combating it in animals.

Although there are safe and effective vaccines available for people who have been bitten by an animal that might have the disease, usage in developing countries is low due to the high costs associated with treatment.

Rabies is spread by infected saliva, which can enter the body through a bite or broken skin.

The virus travels from the wound to the brain, where it causes swelling or inflammation.

This inflammation leads to the symptoms of the disease, which may include anxiety, stress and tension; drooling; convulsions; exaggerated sensation at the bite site; excitability; loss of feeling in an area of the body; loss of muscle function; low-grade fever; muscle spasms; numbness and tingling; pain at the site of the bite; restlessness; and swallowing difficulty as drinking causes spasms of the voicebox.

For human beings, rabies is almost inevitably fatal if a victim does not receive medical attention promptly before showing severe symptoms.

Most rabies’ deaths occur in children.