Two children have died from rabies in KwaZulu-Natal.
The provincial agriculture and rural development department said the children were bitten by a rabid dog and cat.
"Unfortunately and regrettably‚ these two cases have resulted in the loss of lives‚" said departmental spokesman Khaye Nkwanyana.
On Thursday the department warned that a new spike in rabies had been picked up along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline. Nkwanyana said the cases had been detected in Durban‚ on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast‚ and Empangeni and Richards Bay areas.
"The department has been on a massive vaccination programme since October last year which began in Ndwedwe‚ Durban‚ and has proceeded to both the south and north coast of the province‚ especially in rural areas. Our state vets are hard at work in this regard‚" he said.