One of today's articles tells us the someone dies of rabies in Africa every 20 minutes - usually a child. Down here, on the toe of the continent, this figure is almost unbelievable.
However, I grew up in what is now Zambia. We used to have rabies tie-ups - periods where any dog that was not tied up was summarily shot. I knew all about this because my father was in the police and was responsible for overseeing these regular events. He took me to see a rabid dog one day, so that I could identify one if I came across one. He did not take me to see a child dying of rabies, although he could have done - he had seen it himself.
But the problem is that not all dogs with rabies looked like the animal I still vividly remember. The disease can be present in animals that are simply rather secretive and whose behaviour is a bit 'odd'. Children are, of course, particularly vulnerable - they are small and are likely to pet any animal they come across. And dogs with rabies won't run away.
Rabies is regarded as a neglected disease. One of those diseases that only affects the developing world and, within the developing world, the very poor. So it is good to see that there is, at last, some effort being made to eradicate the disease. Other viral diseases, such as small pox, have been eradicated through vaccination programmes. Let's hope that rabies can be another success story.
