Animal health authorities in Kenya have confirmed that three hyenas which attacked and bit people in different locations, including an attack at Multimedia University, were infected with rabies.
A series of unusual hyena attacks have occurred in the country since January 2024.
Samples were collected from a hyena that bit a student this month at Multimedia University, Nairobi, and one that attacked two people in the neighbouring county of Kajiado.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), said the confirmation of rabies in the hyenas explains the unusual and aggressive behaviour towards people.
KWS issued a warning to people in the affected areas to “exercise caution”.
At the beginning of the year KWS issued advice telling people to: “try not to show your fear, keep yourself calm by talking to it”. This drew mixed reactions from Kenyans.
Rabies is a neglected, vaccine-preventable viral disease which occurs in more than 150 countries.
It causes tens of thousands of deaths every year, mainly in Asia and Africa. Most deaths occur in children under 15 years of age.
People are usually infected following a deep bite or scratch from an animal with rabies.
It can take a week or 2-3 months or even up to a year before symptoms begin to show. Affected people may experience muscle pain, fatigue, fever, fear, hallucination, aggression and irritability. Once clinical symptoms appear, it almost always kills.
No human case of rabies has been reported yet after the wave of hyena attacks.
KWS has begun mass vaccination of domestic dogs in Nairobi.
