Hyenas that have been attacking Kajiado and Kiambu residents are infected by rabies, the Kenya Wildlife Service has said.
KWS confirmed this from the samples collected from the hyena that attacked a student from Multimedia University.
The student was attacked two weeks at Maasai lodge in Rongai.
“A report of a hyena attacking a student of Multimedia University at Maasai Lodge in Rongai on February 5, was responded to and samples collected from the hyena were taken to the National Veterinary Reference Laboratories (NVRL), Kabete, for a rabies test. The test results from this case were positive for rabies, " KWS said.
KWS has received reports of hyenas attacking people in Kiambu (Juja) and Kajiado (Rongai, Tuala, and Eselenkei) in the recent past.
To address the situation, it dispatched a team from its Veterinary and Capture Services, assisted by the Problem Animal Management Unit, to capture hyenas that had inhabited caves within the Juja .
Samples collected from a hyena that attacked two people in Eselnkei and tested in NVRL in Kabete also turned out positive for rabies.
KWS said on February 11, 2024, a report was received from a resident of Kalimoni Location in Juja that a hyena had strayed into his compound.
“The hyena was later captured, and samples were sent to NVRL, Kabete, for testing. The test results confirming the case to be positive for rabies were received on February 13, 2024.”
KWS said confirmation of rabies in the hyenas explains the unusual aggressive behaviour towards people that was witnessed in Juja and Kajiado.
“The public in the affected localities is advised to exercise caution as the necessary measures are put in place to manage the situation,” the service said.
WHO says rabies is a vaccine-preventable viral disease that occurs in more than 150 countries and territories.
It causes tens of thousands of deaths every year, mainly in Asia and Africa, 40 per cent of whom are children under 15 years of age.
Dogs are the main source of human rabies deaths, contributing up to 99 per cent of all rabies transmissions to humans.
Rabies can be prevented through the vaccination of dogs and the prevention of dog bites.
After exposure to a potentially rabid animal, people should seek post-exposure prophylaxis, which consists of immediate, thorough wound washing.
KWS said it is working closely with the Directorate of Veterinary Services and the county Governments of Kajiado and Kiambu to implement control measures that will mainly involve mass vaccination of dogs in the affected areas.
"The mass vaccination of dogs commenced on Thursday, February 15, 2024, at Rongai.”
KWS said the role of wildlife in the spread and maintenance of the rabies virus has not been documented.
Studies have shown that domestic dogs transmit up to 98 per cent of human rabies in East Africa.
This means that the best approach to controlling the spread of rabies is through mass vaccination of dogs, which will lead to a reduction in spillover to human beings and wildlife.
The ‘Strategic Plan for the Elimination of Human Rabies in Kenya 2014–2030’ aims at sustained annual mass dog vaccination for at least 3 consecutive years in an attempt to cover about 70 per cent of the dog population to eliminate rabies in the country.
The Service said it will continue to work closely with communities to ensure that wildlife conservation promotes livelihoods, and, at the same time, addresses human-wildlife conflict.