Sudurpaschim Province is facing a serious rabies outbreak, with transmission spreading to both animals and humans through bites from wild foxes and stray dogs. The escalating situation is posing a significant public health challenge across the province.
According to senior veterinary doctor Naresh Prasad Joshi of the Animal Disease Investigation Laboratory in Dhangadhi, at least 18 animals have died from rabies in the past 20 days. “Over the last three years, rabies infection has been confirmed in 371 animals,” Dr. Joshi said. “So far, at least five human deaths due to rabies have been reported, but the actual number is likely higher as many cases go unreported.”
This week, a 70-year-old woman in Surma Rural Municipality-2, Bajhang, died due to rabies. Earlier this year, in Ashad month, a child in Baitadi also died from the disease. The highest number of rabies infections has been recorded in Kailali and Kanchanpur districts. In the fiscal year 2081/82, 136 out of 170 samples tested positive for rabies, with Kailali showing the highest incidence. In Kailali, 78 out of 98 samples tested positive, followed by Kanchanpur with 43 positives out of 53, Achham 5 out of 7, Bajhang 3, and Doti 6 out of 8 samples.
Recently, rabies was confirmed in an animal in Godawari Municipality-6, Kailali, which had been biting other animals. The Rapid Response Team (RRT) of the laboratory tested the sample, confirming it as positive. Earlier, rabies had been detected in a dog in Shuklaphanta Municipality-1, Kanchanpur, and now the threat is spreading to Ward No. 12, according to Ram Prasad Bhatt, head of the municipal livestock development branch. He noted that wild foxes have increasingly entered human settlements, mainly due to destruction of their natural habitat from sugarcane harvesting.
“With the start of the sugarcane harvesting season, foxes lose their hiding places and food sources,” Bhatt explained. “As their habitat diminishes, foxes enter settlements searching for food, biting domestic dogs and livestock, which accelerates the spread of rabies.”
Veterinarian Bhojraj Pandey emphasized that rabies is 100% fatal if untreated, but timely treatment and precautions can save lives. Any bite wound should be washed thoroughly with soap and clean water for 10–15 minutes, and victims should immediately visit a health facility for rabies vaccination, even if the wound is small.
Residents are urged to report animals exhibiting unusual behavior, biting, or foaming at the mouth to local authorities or livestock service branches. Domestic animals must be vaccinated, wild and stray animals should be avoided, and children should be given special care to prevent infection.
About the Author
