A family in Chalata Ward in Mkushi District of Central Province, is living in fear after their two-year-old son was attacked by a suspected rabid fox.
The boy sustained severe bite wounds to his head, hands, and face after the wild animal attacked him in a nearby bush.
In an interview with the media, the boy’s aunt, Onester Mukosha, explained that the child had wandered off while attempting to follow his mother, who was working in the agricultural field.”
“The mother left the boy in the hands of the grandmother. However, he wandered off and started following the mother who had gone to the farm. That’s when he encountered the fox,” she said.
Mkushi District Commissioner Jonathan Kapungwe, who visited the boy in Mkushi District Hospital where he is admitted, said villagers managed to kill the fox after the attack and samples from the carcass were collected and have been sent for laboratory testing.
He said anti-rabies vaccines have so far been procured to prevent any further health complications to the victim.
“We are well coordinated as a District. When we got the news of the incident, we immediately re-ignited the departments responsible,” he said.
He thanked the department of Health, Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), Veterinary and National Parks and Wildlife for acting swiftly and ensuring that all measures were put in place.
Mr Kapungwe observed that the boy had wandered off in a bid to follow the mother without any adult presence and urged parents to take care of their young children because they were a gift from God.
Meanwhile, Mkushi District Health Director Bwalya Chipoya described the condition of the child as stable adding that he was responding well to treatment.
“The boy is responding well to treatment and is in a very stable condition. I see him returning to normal life very soon,” he said.
Mkushi is wildland. Parents need to take extra care of their kids.