Rabies scare as infected dog bites 18 in Kano

At least 18 people have been bitten by a dog suspected to be infected with rabies in Garko Local Government Area of Kano State.

The Nigerian Forest Security Service, Kano State Command, said the dog attacked 11 residents in Garko town before moving into neighbouring communities, where seven other people were bitten.

The affected communities include Raba, Kadage, Gurjiya and Dausai.

The State Commander of the NFSS, Abdullahi Al’ameen, disclosed this in a statement issued by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Usman Abdullahi-Umar, on Sunday in Kano.

According to Al’ameen, the command received a distress report around 2pm about the suspected rabid dog attacking residents in Garko.

He said the command also received reports of two other dogs suspected to have contracted rabies in the area.

Following the reports, personnel from the NFSS Garko Division, led by the Divisional Forest Officer, Auwalu Muhammad, were deployed to the affected communities to track and contain the animals.

The NFSS urged residents to remain vigilant and report sightings of stray or suspected rabid dogs to its nearest office or other security agencies.

It also advised anyone bitten by a suspected rabid dog to seek immediate medical attention.

The command said it would continue monitoring the situation and take measures to prevent further attacks.