Health Ministry confirms case of rabies among animals in Salto

He Ministry of Health DILAVE reported on Friday evening that a cat living in the city of Salto had tested positive for rabies virus in a PCR test. This is a domestic animal that had shown a sharp change in behavior with aggression and sudden death.

Although in Uruguay the last human rabies case was registered in 1966 in Montevideo and the last rabies case in dogs was in 1983 in the department of Rocha, the virus has an air cycle in hematophagous bats (2007 and 2008 in Rivera, Artigas and Tacuarembó, 2014 in Cerro Largo) and insectivores since 2008 in almost all departments, which represents a hidden risk of potential transmission of the disease to other species and humans. This discovery represents the first confirmation of a species jump in our country, so it is necessary to understand the importance of this situation and address it appropriately among all.

In this scenario, although in recent years various organizations have taken various actions to increase knowledge about this disease and its control measures, it is important to understand that rabies is not a disease of the past, that its evolution in humans, if not treated properly, is deadly, it is necessary to ensure that our pets are vaccinated, avoid bite cases and immediately consult in case of any risk (scratch, bite) to get appropriate and timely advice from a health professional.

In connection with the above, the Ministry, together with the Ministry of Livestock, initiated outbreak control actions, the main goal of which is to prevent the occurrence of new cases of the disease, both in humans and in animals working within a radius of 500 meters from the place of residence of a positive animal.

Teams from both ministries are already touring the area to search for bitten people and animals that have come into contact with rabies cases to ensure proper care, rabies vaccination for dogs and cats in the area and health education measures.

The people of Salto are particularly encouraged to increase cooperation and community involvement in:

• • Report animals suspected of having rabies (biting, sudden death, or nervous symptoms without diagnosis).
• • Vaccinate dogs and cats annually with rabies vaccine starting at 3 months of age throughout their lives.
• • In case of an animal bite, even a minor one, seek medical attention immediately and tell the specialist if the biting animal is a dog or cat, regardless of whether it can be observed for the next 10 days after the bite.

MAIN DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT OF EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SUPERVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT OF ZOONOSIS AND VECTORS

Although post-exposure vaccination against rabies is free, it is administered only on prescription. It is important to use this input correctly, since it is a production resource outside the country, so the indications must be adapted to the situation assessed by a specialist and must be performed in the doses and periods recommended according to the protocol. risk (4 doses on days 0, 3, 7 and the fourth dose between days 14 and 28).