Egypt: 11 taken to hospital after being mauled by single dog

Dubai: A mad dog reportedly mauled 11 people in Egypt, causing them to be taken to hospital for treatment, local media reported.

According to the Qena police, the dog attacked several residents in Al Kalh village, with 11 people sustaining injuries.

A number of ambulances rushed to the scene to transport the injured to the hospital, where they received the rabies vaccine.

Stray dogs and other animals are common throughout Egypt and can usually be seen digging through garbage or trotting along city streets. Regarded by many as a nuisance, public health issue, or even dangerous, some individuals have taken the matter into their own hands, poisoning stray animals or harming them in other ways – a trend the law seeks to address, according to Egyptian newspaper Youm7.

According to a report from Ahram Online, Egypt’s agriculture Ministry reported approximately 400,000 cases of dog bites in 2017 - an increase of 100,000 compared with numbers in 2014. Moreover, 231 people have died in the last four years from complications related to dog bites. Most of the deaths were caused by rabies.

Around 60 people die each year from rabies in Egypt, which is incurable if not detected early, according to statistics provided by the World Health Organisation in 2017.