UPDATE ON KUDE/RABIES RESEARCH PROJECT
Published: 01 Feb 2017

On January 10, 2017 a Kudu died of rabies in the Namatanga Conservancy outside Windhoek. This is the first case of rabies at a Kudu in this area since 2012. This case could unfortunately herald the beginning of a new outbreak in this area as well as other farms in that area including the surrounds of the Seeis and Dordabis settlements and Neudamm. From past experience we know that such outbreaks unfortunately can be associated with severe, large-scale mortalities among kudu and eland.

Farmers and hunting farms are cautioned to observe their Kudu and Eland population and are requested to submit samples of animals which might be affected to the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Windhoek. It is necessary to get as many samples as possible and not only for Kudu and Eland, but also for jackals, other wildlife and livestock. 

The most convenient manner is to submit the head of an animal to the Laboratory. The head can be transported in a strong refuse plastic bag in a cool storage. Fresh samples would be ideal, but there is a new method to do tests on samples which are a few days old. Care should be taken when working with the dead animal and it is recommended that gloves and a mask are worn in order to prevent contamination. The Laboratory should also be informed on which farm the animal was found, the owner of the farm as well as information about the symptoms, etc.

The project leader of the Kudu/Rabies research project, Dr Rainer Hassel can be contacted for further information or to assist with the delivery of the samples to the Laboratory. Dr Hassel can be contacted at Tel 061 2909331, 081 3324514, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The contact person at the Central Veterinary Laboratory is Dr Jolandie van der Westhuizen, Section Head: Pathology, Parasitology and Virology Diagnostics, Tel 061 237684, Fax 061 221099. The Laboratory is situated at 24 Goethe Str, Windhoek.