FREE VACCINATION EXERCISE AGAINST RABBIES BEING ORGANIZED BY RIVERS STATE GOVERNMENT TO EXTENDED TO THE RURAL AREAS OF THE STATE.

Rivers State Government says it will extend the ongoing free mass vaccination against rabbies to the rural areas to prevent fatalities associated with rabbies infection in dogs and humans.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Doctor Fred Kpakol dropped the hint while flagging off the 2021 free National Rabbies Vaccination Campaign in Port Harcourt.

Doctor Fred Kpakol who was represented by the Director Engineering Services in the Ministry, Madeke Onisokumen, disclosed that rabbies infection had ninety-nine percent fatality rate if no early efficient post exposure prophylaxis was applied.

According to him, one case of rabbies is already an outbreak in a community and urged dog owners and breeders to take advantage of the free vaccination exercise to support government’s effort in checking the spread of rabbies.

He described rabbies as a highly fatal viral zonotic disease of dogs and warning that blooded animals spread through the bite of an infected animal and man and called for understanding.

In his remarks, the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Doctor Olaniran Alabi said rabbies was one hundred percent preventive while describing the disease as a trans-boundary animal disease that has remained endemic in Nigeria since it was reported in 1912 in the country.

          The Chairman Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, Rivers State Chapter, Doctor Fidelis Ezem and Acting Director Veterinary Service Ministry of Agriculture, Doctor Godswill Ukoikpoku called for concerted efforts to eradicate rabbies by 2030 in tandem with global fight of the disease.

Some dog owners and breeders thanked the Federal and State Governments for making the vaccination free nationwide.

Our reporter, Baridorn Sika who covered the Flag-off reports that it featured donation of dog feed and effective communication with dogs.