Sunday 8 October 2017

2017 World Rabies Day in K’ba:



Over 500 dogs vaccinated against rabies
By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba
Owners of companion animals like dogs, cats and monkeys have been called upon to constantly vaccinate their animals in order to guard against rabies infections. The call was made Thursday September 28 in Kumba by the Regional delegate of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries for the Southwest, Dr. Lucy Egbe on the occasion of the 11th Edition of World Rabies Day in Meme on the theme “Zero rabies by 2030”.
                Speaking during the ceremony, the Regional Delegate cautioned dog, cats and monkey owners on ways to better live with such companion animals which they consider as pets. She lectured the population of how to recognize rabies symptoms in their pets, the importance of wellbeing of companion animals, how suspected animals could be put under observation, modalities of veterinary observation, judicial disposition and amongst others. She noted that rabies is a disease that affects all warm-blooded animals with dogs and cats been mostly susceptible reason why a lot of attention has to be paid on them since many people use them as our pets.
                Quizzed on the prevalence rate of the disease in the region, she revealed it is not only endemic in the southwest region but also in the national territory. She disclosed that in the year 2015 they were incidents of human cases of rabies through dog bites in Mbonge sub division.

                On his part, the newly appointed divisional Delegate of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries for Meme, Dr. Ebwekoh Felix Ngwese revealed over 500 dogs have been vaccinated during the three day campaign in Kumba.  He explained that after the vaccination campaign ends in Kumba, the team of officials will then move to the periphery to continue the sensitisation and vaccination exercise. He noted this is very important because cases of dog bites are very prevalent in the villages and most people are not aware of the symptoms of rabies as well as the danger that can be posed by rabies infected animals to their owners.
                The occasion was presided over by the interim Second Assistant SDO for Meme, Njonje Helmia in which she called on all to take the advice of the medical team to see into it that rabies is eradicated in the entire division.
                It should be noted that rabies is a viral zoonotic disease transmitted through contact with the saliva of an infected animal through its bite, scratch or licking. According to the World Health Organisation, up to 59000 people worldwide die of rabies every year including millions of animals with 99% of them bitten by rabid dogs.

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