Five people died in June as a result of rabies in Benin, the country’s Health department has indicated on Tuesday.
The victims were reported in two governorates namely Atlantique and Zou. One of the victims is a breastfeeding woman aged 31.
She died of her wounds after being bitten by a dog, Corneille Gnanvi, Head of animal health at the ministry, told the media.
The department of animal health also indicated that there was another fatality reported in April, at Abomey-Calavi, the Atlantique governorate.
The entire country reported 43 deaths caused by rabies between 2014 and 2018. Rabies per the World Health Organization is one of the neglected tropical diseases (NTD) that predominantly affects already marginalized, poor and vulnerable populations.
Although effective human vaccines and immunoglobulins exist for rabies, these are often not readily available or accessible to those in need, the organization says.
