At least 18 people have reportedly been bitten by a dog suspected to be infected with rabies in Garko Local Government Area of Kano State.
The incident has triggered a search operation by the Nigerian Forest Security Service, Garko Division, as officers move to locate the suspected rabid dog and two others believed to have been infected.
The NFSS Kano Command said the first dog attacked 11 people in Garko town before moving into surrounding communities, where seven additional residents were reportedly bitten.
The affected communities include Raba, Kadage, Gurjiya and Dausai, according to the service.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, CSF Usman Abdullahi Umar, said the three dogs posed a potential threat to residents and other animals because of the risk of rabies transmission.
Following the attacks, officers led by the Divisional Forest Officer, Auwalu Muhammad, were deployed to the affected communities to track down the animals and prevent further attacks.
A security officer told Daily Post during a telephone conversation that the suspected rabid dog had also attacked other dogs, although the exact number remained unknown.
He said, “The mad dog has bitten other dogs here, we are not certain how many yet. After the mad dog was out of town, another one started to run mad as well.”
The NFSS urged residents in Garko and neighbouring communities to avoid stray or suspicious animals and promptly report dogs displaying unusual behaviour to the nearest NFSS office or security agency.
Residents who have been bitten or had contact with animals suspected of carrying rabies were also advised to seek immediate medical attention.
The service said its personnel would continue the search across the affected communities until the threat was contained.
