New outbreak of rabies in Holguín after a cat bit three people

A new outbreak of rabies has broken out in the town of Guatemala, in the municipality of Mayarí, Holguín, after a cat bit three people.

The head of the command post of the Provincial Directorate of Public Health, Dr. Yanelis Calviño, informed theCuban News Agency that "the event is controlled, through the application of measures such as collecting animals without owners, demangostization of the area and vaccination of pets."

The specialist also said that in that eastern province there are four other outbreaks in the municipalities of Calixto García, Mayarí itself, in the El Naranjal Popular Council and in the main city, located in the Máximo Gómez and Pedro del Toro health areas.

Calviño indicated that when a person is faced with a similar case, they should immediately go to the doctor or report any change in pet behavior, including rejection of water or hydrophobia.

Currently, victims of animal attacks are treated with serums and vaccines for a period of 30 days, to counteract the disease, which travels through the nerves to the brain.

Each person must also provide information such as the location of the bite and whether the animal exhibited any unusual behavior, which requires observation for a period of 10 days.

Last May,Three people from the Ampliación neighborhood died of rabies from Calixto García, in Mayari.

In June, the health authorities of the province of Holguín announced that they would vaccinate more than 4,800 dogs and cats in the municipality of Mayarí, following the rabies outbreak that caused the death of three members of a family.

This measure aimed to prevent new cases of the disease in the residents of that town. They also announced that they would collect stray animals, as well as train medical personnel to face this disease and the population in general, to whom the symptoms and the importance of quickly going to a doctor if they suffer were explained. a bite

However, the rabies outbreaks in that province do not seem to end. In the middle of this month it was reportedanother rage event also in Mayari, for which two people who had contact with a cat infected with the virus are kept under surveillance.

The authorities have said that in the Guayabo area there is an abundant presence of the rabies virus in bats and mongooses, which is a risk factor for the population.

On another occasion the authorities of MayariThey reported that they would sacrifice the animals that they remained on the streets and were not claimed within 72 hours, due to the alleged outbreak of rabies, news that caused a stir among animal activists throughout the island.