The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has officially confirmed that the recent attacks in Juja sub county were carried out by rabies-infected hyenas. Notably, KWS received a report from a resident of Kalimoni Location in Juja regarding a hyena that had strayed into a compound. Following the capture of the hyena, samples were promptly sent to NVRL, Kabete for testing, with the subsequent receipt of test results confirming the presence of rabies.
This discovery shed light on the underlying cause of the hyenas’ unusual behavior towards the local population, prompting KWS to advise the affected communities to exercise caution during their daily activities as necessary measures are being implemented to manage the situation.
As a result, the general public in the affected localities has been advised to exercise caution in their daily activities, as KWS implements necessary measures to manage the situation, including mass dog vaccination.
The KWS has emphasized the need for comprehensive control measures to curb the spread of rabies. It was noted that the role of wildlife in the transmission and maintenance of the rabies virus remains undocumented. However, studies have highlighted that domestic dogs are responsible for transmitting up to 98% of human rabies cases in East Africa. As a result, mass vaccination of dogs has been identified as the most effective approach to reducing spillover to humans and wildlife.
In collaboration with the Directorate of Veterinary Services and the county Government of Kiambu, KWS is actively working to implement control measures, primarily focusing on mass vaccination of dogs in the affected areas.
