The eThekwini municipality has urged residents of the Durban metro to vaccinate their pets - especially cats and dogs - against rabies after a three-year-old child from the Ngonyameni area near Umlazi died from the disease.
The child had been in contact with a dog that is suspected to have had rabies.
A mass vaccination campaign will be conducted in the Ntiyane area with similar visits to KwaMashu, Ridgeview, Shallcross and Chatsworth in weeks to come.
eThekwini spokesperson Gigu Sisilana says the dog was later put down.
Rabies in humans can present with symptoms such as headaches, fever, mental confusion and muscle pain, among others. The disease is extremely dangerous but it is preventable. The citys communicable diseases teams are working closely together with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to curb the spread of rabies.
