Human Rabies in Kumasi: A Growing Public Health Concern

Rabies is a viral illness with an almost 100% case fatality rate. Ninety five percent of the estimated 55,000 Rabies cases occur in Africa and Asia. Ghana still reports cases of rabies. This abstract reviews cases of Human Rabies seen at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi from January 2013 to January 2015.

Twenty one cases of Human Rabies were recorded during the period. The majority of cases (52.4%) were 18 years or older.  The ages ranged from 3 to 55 years. Approximately 38% were resident in the city of Kumasi with the remainder distributed over a wide area geographically. January 2015 recorded 3 cases with a total of 8 and 10 cases recorded in 2013 and 2014 respectively. The case fatality rate was 100% with about 60% of cases dying within 24 hours of admission. Dog bites accounted for 20 of the 21 exposures. About 55% of dog bites were by stray dogs. One case of a cat bite was recorded. The incubation period ranged 3 weeks and 3 months. About a third of cases were seen in a health facility following the animal bite but did not receive the recommended PEP for Rabies.

The wide geographical distribution of cases is a source of concern for Public Health. Aggressive efforts at reducing the incidence of the disease must be pursued. The training of Healthcare staff on PEP for Rabies, Mass Vaccination of animals, enforcement of legislation on stray animals and Public education on the disease is recommended.