A total of 31 people have died of rabies in the Ashanti Region within the past four years, Dr Emmanuel Edward Effah, the Ejisu-Juaben Municipal Veterinary Officer, has announced.
The last victim, a teenage boy, died at Donyina, a farming community in the municipality, and this occurred in February.
Dr Effah, who was addressing an anti-rabies campaign held at Donyina, said more than 90% of human cases of the infectious viral disease were transmitted by domestic dogs through bites and scratches.
The programme was organised by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) as part of the stepped up efforts to educate the people on the dangers of the disease.
The veterinary officer spoke of the launch of an exercise to get every dog in the municipality vaccinated to save innocent lives.
He advised dog owners to co-operate with officials of the Veterinary Services Department to prevent the disease.
Mrs Josephine Ahorsu, the Municipal Health Director, said immediate wound cleansing with soap and water after contact with a suspected rabid animal could be life-saving.
She urged the people to quickly report dogs with aggressive behaviours to health officials, since that could be signs of rabies.
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