Two people have lost their lives to rabies in the Federal Capital Territory after being bitten by infected dogs, authorities confirmed yesterday. The deaths happened in Gwagwalada and Kwali Area Councils and are part of eight confirmed rabies cases reported in the FCT.
According to Thisday Newspaper, Dr. Karnak Dandam, who heads Veterinary Services at the FCTA’s Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, announced the deaths during a press briefing in Abuja. He said all eight victims had samples tested at the National Veterinary Research Institute in Vom, Plateau State, and the results came back positive.
The first set of samples was sent to the lab in March and confirmed that same month. Another batch was submitted in early June, with results released on June 15.
The FCTA is now taking quick steps to stop the disease from spreading further. Officials are calling on residents to get their dogs and cats vaccinated and to report any dog bites right away.
Dandam explained that rabies is a deadly virus that attacks the brain and nerves. It spreads when an infected dog or cat bites a person.
In people, early signs include fever, headache, tiredness, and pain or tingling where the bite occurred. Later stages can bring anxiety, confusion, hallucinations, and even barking sounds. Infected dogs often drool heavily, struggle to swallow, act aggressively toward their owners, and develop a strong fear of water called hydrophobia.
“Once symptoms show up in humans, recovery is almost impossible,” Dandam said. He urged anyone bitten to wash the wound immediately with soap and lots of water, then rush to a hospital for treatment.
To fight the outbreak, the FCTA ran vaccination drives for dogs and cats across Abuja in December 2025 and January 2026. But Dandam said there weren’t enough vaccines to go round. The government is now buying more doses and plans a large-scale vaccination campaign in every village and town across the FCT’s six area councils.
“We’ll visit every home with a dog or cat,” he said. “We’ll vaccinate the animals and give owners a certificate and license.”
The secretariat is also educating residents in all six area councils to take their pets to approved public and private vet clinics for rabies shots and paperwork.
Residents should also keep vaccinated pets indoors so they don’t come into contact with stray or rabid animals. Dandam advised people to watch for sudden changes in their pets’ behavior, as this could mean rabies.
“If a normally friendly dog suddenly becomes quiet, hides away, and later starts attacking without reason, that’s a red flag,” he said. “As the sickness gets worse, the dog may wander around with its mouth wide open before becoming paralyzed and dying within 10 days.”