Abdulkadir Umar, the desk officer in charge of rabies in the Bauchi State Ministry of Agriculture, has expressed concern over recent cases detected in cats in the state.

Mr Umar expressed his concern in an interview on Monday in Bauchi, stating that the concern was imperative, considering that rabies was known to be attributed to dogs.

Mr Umar said the viral disease could affect all animals, including humans, if they were exposed to it.

According to him, rabies among cats public health as keeping cats has become a remedy for rats in households.

“Rabies is common among dogs, but recently we see cats coming up with the virus.

“Because of Lassa fever, households keep cats as a biological remedy for rats, however; people should be responsible for the animals they keep,” he said.

He called for the vaccination of dogs and cats over three or four months. He also said that the vaccine for treating cats infected with rabies differs from that of dogs having rabies.

“The virus, which stays in the brain and the salivary gland, can be transmitted to a person or animal through openings.

“So even if the cat did not bite a person, the person might be exposed to the virus while processing the meat before it gets into the pot,” he explained.

(NAN)