Mass dog vaccination in MPP area

suppadmin | April 11, 2022

Seven areas in Kuching have been declared to be rabies infected areas. They are Sungai Tapang, Batu Kawa, Batu 10 Kota Padawan, Taman Beverly Hills, Batu 11 Jln Kuching-Serian, Batu 11 ½ Jalan Kuching-Serian, said Batu Kitang state assemblyman, Lo Khere Chiang.

Lo who is also Padawan Municipal Council chairman was speaking at the mass vaccination, Dog licensing and micro yesterday at the parking Lot, Sarawak Veterinary Services Department Office at Jalan Semenggok, Batu 12, Jalan Kuching – Serian said Rabies is a dangerous disease that is found to occur in animals and it can be transmitted to humans through animal bites, which may cause death. He said dogs being commonly kept as pets are susceptible to this disease.

He disclosed that from 2017 to 2021 there are 22,996 cases of animal bites recorded in Kuching Division, out of which about 58% were dog bite cases.
Sarawak recorded the first case of human rabies in July 2017 and from that period until last year 2021, a total of 41 cases were recorded. Of those figures, 39 cases resulted in deaths.

Pointing out that the control and prevention measures is to vaccinate dogs annually and MPP and Sarawak

Veterinary Services Department are taking proactive measures such as to actively register and vaccinate dogs.

“The objective of organizing mass vaccination, licensing and installation of dog microchips is to raise public awareness and responsibility in caring for their pet dogs and thereby reduce the risk of spreading rabies disease. The community is advised to have their dogs vaccinated with the anti -rabies vaccine under the Anti Rabies Vaccination Order to reduce the risk of their pets contracting rabies infection and to follow-up with booster vaccination annually. Currently only twenty percent of (20%) of vaccinated dogs receive booster vaccination. The public is also advised to license their pet dogs as stipulated under By Law 4(1) of Local Authorities (Dog Licensing and Control) By-Law, 2018. By registering dogs through licensing, the authorities will be able gain and share accurate dog population information within a certain area and plan resources such as vaccine and other activities for the control and prevention of the disease, ” he added.

This year, Lo said the Council and the Sarawak Veterinary Services Department are planning 6 such programs – starting with this one – to be held monthly, tentatively at Jalan Penrissen (Batu 7 basketball court), Batu Kawa (Desa Wira), Batu Kawa (Batu 4, Jalan Arang), Batu Kawa (Pekan Batu
Kawa Lama) and Matang -Malihah area to provide the public with easy access to vaccinate and licensed their pet dogs.

He said the community may keep abreast of the schedule and exact location of this program later through mass media such as Facebook, official websites and other channels updated by the authorities and he strongly advised them to participate in and disseminate information of such
programs because public cooperation is vital in the effort to defeat the menace of rabies.

In last 2 years, Lo said Padawan Municipal Council had conducted 6 integrated operations with several agencies such as the Sarawak Veterinary Services Department and PDRM and Health Department of which the objective of this integrated operation is to catch stray dogs while at the same time advice residents on the dangers of rabies.

The insertion of a dog microchip, he said is intended to identify the dog’s owner data if the dog is found accidentally released in a public place.

As dogs can reproduce every 3 months with up to nine puppies at a time, Lo urged owners to sterilized/neuter their pet dogs. By feeding strays aggravates the problem and increase the population of strays and thereby rising chances of rabies diseases within these uncared for and unvaccinated dog population.