•Cat and dog
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has confirmed an outbreak of rabies in the territory following the deaths of two residents from infected dog bites, prompting authorities to urge residents to vaccinate their dogs and cats and avoid contact with stray animals.
The Director of Veterinary Services, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Dr Karnak Dandam, disclosed this today in Abuja, saying the two fatalities occurred in Gwagwalada and Kwali Area Councils, reports Daily Independent.
Dandam said laboratory tests conducted by the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom, Plateau State, confirmed eight positive cases of rabies recorded in the FCT between March and June.
According to him, five of the confirmed cases were reported in Gwagwalada Area Council, while three occurred in Kwali Area Council.
“There are eight confirmed cases of samples taken for testing at the National Reference Laboratory, NVRI, and they came out positive.
“The first samples we took to Vom this year were in March and the result came out the same month. The second samples were in early June and the result came out on June 15,” he said.
Describing rabies as a deadly viral disease that attacks the central nervous system, Dandam explained that it is transmitted through the bite of infected dogs and cats and is almost always fatal once symptoms develop.
He listed the symptoms in humans to include fever, headache, fatigue and pain at the bite site, which may progress to anxiety, confusion, hallucinations and other severe neurological complications.
In infected dogs, he said the disease is characterised by excessive salivation, difficulty swallowing, aggression, unusual fear of water, hanging jaws and sudden behavioural changes.
The veterinary expert advised anyone bitten by a dog or cat to immediately wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and plenty of clean water before seeking urgent medical attention.
He explained that the FCTA had earlier conducted rabies vaccination campaigns across the territory in December 2025 and January 2026 but noted that vaccine shortages prevented all pets from being immunised.
To curb further spread of the disease, Dandam said the administration had intensified public awareness campaigns while encouraging pet owners to confine their vaccinated dogs and cats to prevent contact with infected stray animals.
He added that residents across the six area councils were also being advised to take their pets to designated public and private veterinary clinics for vaccination and certification.
“Everybody has to restrict his or her dogs and cats so that they will not be roaming the streets and become exposed to infected rabid dogs,” he said.
The director disclosed that the FCTA had begun efforts to procure additional vaccine doses and would soon embark on a comprehensive mass vaccination campaign covering every town and village in the six area councils.
“Anywhere there is a dog and a cat, we will visit, vaccinate and give the owners a certificate of vaccination and licence. That’s our plan,” he said.
Dandam also urged residents to watch for sudden behavioural changes in their pets, noting that a friendly dog becoming withdrawn, unusually aggressive or attacking without provocation could be an early sign of rabies.
He explained that infected dogs often isolate themselves before becoming restless and violent, adding that the disease eventually progresses to paralysis and death within about 10 days after clinical symptoms appear.
The FCTA appealed to residents to promptly report suspected rabies cases and dog bites to the nearest veterinary or medical facility as part of efforts to contain the outbreak and prevent further loss of lives.
