Public health and veterinary experts have called for stronger collaboration between medical professionals and veterinarians to improve rabies surveillance, ensure prompt treatment of dog-bite victims and accelerate efforts to eliminate the disease in Nigeria.

In interviews on Monday in Abuja, the experts said enhanced collaboration would strengthen information sharing between human and animal health sectors, enabling early detection, treatment and reduced fatalities.

A veterinary surgeon with the National Park Service (NPS), Abdulrahman Muhammad, said prevention remained the most effective strategy against rabies, emphasising that routine vaccination of animals was critical to reducing transmission to humans.

Mr Muhammad explained that veterinarians were responsible for vaccinating pets, monitoring suspected rabid animals, conducting disease surveillance and educating pet owners on responsible animal ownership and preventive measures against infectious diseases nationwide.

He said that dogs accounted for most human rabies infections, adding, “After a dog bite, veterinary officers should investigate the animal, observe where necessary or facilitate laboratory testing to determine its rabies status.”

Also speaking was a medical doctor at Lugrem Hospital, Dei-Dei, Abuja, Ummusalma Faruk, who described every dog bite as a medical emergency, warning that rabies remained fatal once symptoms developed in infected individuals.

She urged victims to immediately wash bite wounds thoroughly with soap and running water for at least 15 to 20 minutes before reporting to the nearest healthcare facility for evaluation.

Ms Faruk added that medical doctors had a responsibility to notify veterinary authorities of suspected rabies exposures so affected animals could be traced, preventing further infections and protecting communities from outbreaks.

She said effective rabies control depended on collaboration between the human and animal health sectors, noting that stronger partnerships would reduce rabies cases and strengthen Nigeria’s outbreak response capacity.

They noted that collaboration among medical professionals, veterinarians, government institutions and communities remains a critical strategy for effectively eliminating rabies and improving public health outcomes across Nigeria.

(NAN)