Health officials have warned that rabies transmission from cats has increased in Sri Lanka.
Consultant Community Physician at the Health Ministry Dr. Athula Liyanapathirana of the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health said rabies is “100 percent a fatal disease,” noting that only a very small number of people worldwide have survived the infection.
Dr. Liyanapathirana said laboratory testing of animal brain samples has shown an increase in rabies among cats. He added that incidents of cat bites have risen sharply, particularly in the Colombo and Gampaha districts.
According to health officials, most of the rabies cases reported in the country last year were not caused by bites from stray dogs, but from pet dogs kept in homes.
Rabies, which can be transmitted through bites from animals such as dogs, cats, squirrels and mongooses, is considered a fatal disease.
Health authorities estimate that between 250,000 and 300,000 dog bite incidents are reported annually in Sri Lanka.
He said rabies can be transmitted through bites from a wide range of animals, including dogs, cats, foxes, squirrels, bandicoots, civet cats, mongooses, cattle and horses. (Newswire)
