Ongole: Vaccinate pets to help them stave off rabies, owners told

Ongole: Prakasam district’s Animal Husbandry department observed World Zoonoses Day on Thursday by vaccinating pet dogs and other animals and creating awareness about zoonotic diseases and precautions to be taken from spreading them from animals to human beings.

District Animal Husbandry department Joint Director Dr K Baby Rani initiated the mega vaccination programme for dogs as part of observing World Zoonoses Day. Creating awareness of zoonotic diseases, among dog owners and school children, she informed them that World Zoonoses Day was celebrated to commemorate the efforts of Louis Pasteur, who successfully administered the first vaccine against rabies to a 6-year-old boy Joseph, on July 6, 1885. She explained that Zoonosis is an infectious disease caused by a pathogen that originated in animals but jumped to humans directly or through an intermediary species. She said that rabies, leptospirosis, brucellosis, anthrax, bird flu, tuberculosis, Japanese encephalitis and other zoonotic diseases are most commonly observed in human beings. She said that all pets should be vaccinated to prevent them from spreading diseases and eventually causing death to human beings. She said that the rabies vaccine should be administered to each dog after they attain 3 months of age, the leptospirosis vaccine after 45 days of age and continue one booster dose every year.

Dr Baby Rani informed that they have a stock of rabies vaccine in all regional animal hospitals in the district and the veterinary polyclinic in Ongole. She informed that they will continue mega-free vaccination programme for pet animals up to July 31 and advised the owners to see their pets vaccinated and stop spreading rabies.

Later, JDAH Baby Rani, deputy directors Dr G Padmavathi, Dr S Somaiah, Dr A Ramesh, Dr D Surendra Prasad, Union Bank of India AGM M Maheswara Swamy, chief manager K Murali Krishna, and others bank officers launched the posters, pamphlets and other publicity material to create awareness among the public on vaccination to pets. The JDAH stated that they have vaccinated a total of 433 dogs free of cost on Thursday.