Pando declares alert after death of a patient with human rabies

The Pandino department declared a health alert, after the death of a person due to the rabies virus. This is the first death from human rabies after 50 years in that region.

In addition, two other people receive preventive treatment, after being attacked by a wild animal that tested positive for the rabies virus. The victim was 52 years old and lost his life this Wednesday, after 28 days of care at the Roberto Galindo hospital.

“It was treated like an infectious disease. Nevertheless, after 20 days he presented a neurological problem, for which it was suspected that it was human rabies. The sample was taken and sent to Inlasa (in La Paz) where they confirmed the hypothesis”, revealed Danni Mendoza, director of the Pando Headquarters.

The authorities are investigating a possible transmission of the virus through the bite of a bat, since the affected person lived in Cobija, He was a homeless person and had no history of attacks by a dog or cat.

“It is suspected that the rabies was transmitted by a bat bite, since he did not mention having been attacked by a dog or cat,” Mendoza insisted. The doctor clarified that the deceased had basic pathologies such as liver cirrhosis and high blood pressure, which, according to reports from health authorities, would be the first death from human rabies in Pando after almost 50 years; but the second death in the country, because the first occurred in Cochabamba, in a young woman who was bitten by a pet that she rescued from the street.

Isabel Montaño, Head of Zoonosis at the Pando Headquarters, highlighted that in the middle there are hematophagous bats (that feed on blood), but that they mainly attack pets. However, this is not the only concern of health authorities. Montaño reported that two other people are receiving prophylactic treatment because they were attacked by a mammal (wild animal) that tested positive for rabies. This case was known on August 3, in the Santa Lucía community, in the municipality of Bella Flor.

“According to people’s accounts, a mammal (badger type) would have attacked a chicken coop, the owner, in an effort to defend his pets, was bitten by the animal, as was his assistant. The latter killed the animal and, later, laboratory tests confirmed that he had rabies.Montano reported. In addition to these affected, there are two other people under observation, since they were in charge of the transfer of the animal for the taking of samples.

health authorities They clarified that both the contacts of the person who died and those involved in the mammal attack are receiving prophylactic treatment. That is, receiving antirabies serum and under permanent epidemiological surveillance.

immunization campaign

Precisely this Tuesday the national government announced for this weekend a vaccination campaign against rabies throughout the country. The Minister of Health, Jeyson Auza, explained that 3 million doses were distributed to the nine departments of the country. He maintained that more than 12,000 brigades will be deployed on a national scale, each made up of three people: a vaccinator, a recorder and a channeller. He stressed that the aim is to reach an optimal vaccination coverage of 85%.

Auza urged the owners of the dogs that it is not only having a pet at home, but that it is a duty to protect them, take care of them and the best way is to have them vaccinated. The person in charge of Zoonosis of Pando assured that this measure is key to containing the disease in that region, since rabies is not transmitted from person to person, but from animals to humans and “we must be responsible with the health of animals and the population,” he said.