Rabies in Ghana, West Africa

Ghana, like many West, Central and East African countries is an edemic area for rabies. Between 1977 and 1981, despite yearly vaccination programmes of dogs and human being population at risk in 1977, the incidence of rabies is still high. A total of 752 canine and 102 human rabies were reported and confirmed. Hospital case reports of 8 persons that died of the disease confirmed all known facts about rabies except seasonality. Finally, the need for a nationwide effort to control, if not erradicate, the disease by mass vaccination of dogs is highlighted.