Animal health authorities in Kenya have verified that three hyenas responsible for attacking and biting individuals in various locations were infected with rabies.
Since January, there has been a series of uncommon hyena attacks in the country.
Samples were gathered from a hyena that bit a university student in the capital, Nairobi, earlier this month, as well as from one that attacked two individuals in the neighboring county of Kajiado.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) stated that the confirmation of rabies in the hyenas elucidates the atypical and aggressive behavior exhibited towards people.
KWS issued a caution to residents in the affected areas to “exercise caution.”
At the start of the year, KWS provided guidance advising individuals to “try not to show your fear, keep yourself calm by talking to it.” This advice elicited mixed reactions from Kenyans.
Rabies is a neglected, vaccine-preventable viral disease found in over 150 countries. It results in tens of thousands of deaths annually, primarily in Asia and Africa, with the majority occurring in children under the age of 15.
Typically, individuals become infected following a deep bite or scratch from an animal carrying rabies.
Symptoms may take anywhere from a week to 2-3 months, or even up to a year, to manifest. Affected individuals may experience muscle pain, fatigue, fever, fear, hallucinations, aggression, and irritability. Once clinical symptoms emerge, the disease is almost always fatal.
As of now, no human cases of rabies have been reported following the hyena attacks.
KWS has initiated a mass vaccination campaign for domestic dogs in Nairobi.