Mass rabies vaccination drive begins

Wasti Atmodjo, ,  Contributor, ,  Denpasar   |  Wed, 12/31/2008 10:50 AM  |  Bali

On Saturday, Denpasar's administration started the first phase of a wide scale vaccination campaign, targeting animals vulnerable to rabies, in a coordinated effort to contain the epidemic which hit the neighboring regency of Badung.

The first phase targeted 23 banjar (traditional neighborhood associations) in two villages, Panjer and Sesetan. The villages lie in the southern part of the city and directly face Badung regency's southern regions, where the recent outbreak of rabies occurred.

"The villages were selected to be sites in the first phase because of their close proximity to Pecatu, the site of the rabies outbreak," head of the Denpasar Veterinary Agency, Dewa Gde Ngurah said.

He disclosed that street dogs, the common victim and vector of rabies, could wander up to ten kilometers from their respective original territory.

"Both villages lie in the radius of Pecatu, that's why we targeted these villages first," he added.

In the following phases, the campaign will target each and every village in Denpasar.

"The last phase will be followed by a door-to-door inspection to ensure that all animals vulnerable to rabies have been protected with vaccines," he stressed.

The campaign's ultimate goal, he said, is a rabies-free Denpasar.

"This goal requires a sustained effort. Three months after this mass vaccination campaign we will organize the second wave of mass vaccinations, giving boosters to all the animals that are being vaccinated now," he said.

Only after the second vaccination will the animals be immune to rabies.

"After the second wave, the administration will organize a massive culling of animals that were not vaccinated," he said.

Ngurah estimated the city's dog population had reached more than 10,000, 25 percent of which were street dogs.

On Saturday, the administration's health workers, assisted by experts from the Veterinary Main Office (BBVet), the Bali Veterinary Agency and Udayana University's Veterinary Medicine Faculty managed to vaccinated a total of 1,719 animals, including 1,706 dogs, 12 cats and one monkey.

After being vaccinated, each animal was given a metal collar tag, which will be used by health workers to differentiate the vaccinated animals from the un-vaccinated ones.

The official launching of the campaign was held at the community hall of banjar Kaja, Panjer, and was attended by Denpasar Mayor IB Rai Dharmawijaya Mantra.

"We have to design the most effective method to monitor the inbound and outbound traffic of animals vulnerable to rabies in Denpasar," he said.

The residents were enthusiastic about the campaign. One resident, Made Rojaniara, brought his two grandchildren and three pet dogs to banjar Kaja's hall. The elderly man, who does not own a car, used a rustic wooden pushcart to transport his beloved pets; Melati, Mawar and Pretty.

"I am deeply worried that my dogs might contract rabies, that's why, when I was informed about this free of charge vaccination, I brought my dogs here without any hesitation," he said.

Similar enthusiasm was shown by Putu Fajar Setiawan, a tiny ten-year old boy, who dragged Boby, a huge dog almost as tall as himself, to the hall.

"I have two other dogs at home but I couldn't bring them all here in one trip. I will take them after I finish with Boby," he said.

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