Officials from the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA), in Arauca, responded to the notification for official neurological disease, on suspicion of rabies of wild origin and Venezuelan equine encephalitis, in the municipality of Tame.
In Arauca, during 2023, 13 notifications compatible with neurological symptoms have been attended, of which four have tested positive for rabies of wild origin in bovines, transmitted by the hematophagous bat (Desmodus round), and one equine positive for Venezuelan equine encephalitis; which represents an alert due to the increase in the incidence of cases presented in endemic areas.
The ICA, as a health authority, coordinates, supervises, and evaluates prevention, control, and eradication actions, in order to prevent the introduction and spread of diseases that may affect the different species of animals in the country.
The strategies of the National Project for the Prevention and Control of Rabies of Wild Origin in Colombia by the ICA, are based on the attention to notifications of neurological symptoms, the epidemiological characterization of the disease and the implementation of control measures to reduce the population of blood-sucking bats in selected areas.
Rabies is a disease of acute viral zoonotic origin, with high mortality, which affects all mammals, whether domestic or wild, including humans, and is transmitted through contact with infected saliva through bites or scratches from animals. blood-sucking bats.
Source: Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA)