Soroti Residents in Fear Over Rampant Dog Bites
By Spurb Ernest

Soroti district health leaders have decried the increasing cases of dog bites that are not reported to the health facilities
Dr Charles Okadhi, the Soroti District Health Officer says that only 37 out of 240 cases that were registered by the veterinary department were reported in health facilities in the 2023/2024 financial year
This month, 16 cases of animal bites were reported in health facilities out of the 120 recorded in the veterinary department
Soroti launched the mass rabies vaccination campaign and community education in partnership with the Makerere University Erabies project at Kamuda sub-county headquarters
The 21-day vaccination exercise is targeting all dogs and cats in Kamuda Sub County and the nearby parishes
The vaccination follows the outbreak of rabies in Soroti district where 36 dog bites cases were reported in Katine last year with 16 dogs killed while 15 pupils had dog bites in Kamuda Sub County in November alone
However, Dr. John Opolot, the Assistant Commissioner of Veterinary Health and Zoonosis warned the locals against taking people bitten by a rabid dog to the witch doctors.
Dr Opolot asked development partners to support locals vaccinating their dogs saying they are currently receiving reports of more people dying from rabbies in Sembabule and Butaleja districts
Dr. Peter Wanyama, the Assistant Commissioner of Veterinary Diagnostics said rabies is now endemic in the country with an average of 13,000 suspected rabies cases in humans recorded and a total of 975 suspected cases reported in animals
Dr Wanyama revealed that MAAIF has planned to vaccinate 70 percent of the national population annually for five years to eliminate the deadly disease