ASABA – No fewer than 5,000 dogs are to be immunized in Delta state before the end of the year, the State Commissioner for Agricultural and Natural Resource, Mr. Julius Egbedi has said.
Mr. Egbede, made the revelation in Asaba yesterday while flagging off the state yearly free immunization programme against rabies in dogs and Cats.
He said the policy thrust of the state government is the promotion of public health, even the Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa
” has made funds available annually for various veterinary public health activities which includes prevention of animal diseases like rabies in dogs, African Swine Fever in pigs, Avian influenza in birds and pest des petite ruminants in goats”.
To him: “Most of these diseases are endemic in Nigeria with the outbreaks records up to 100 per cent mortality once contracted.
“Rabies is a contagious and highly fatal zoonotic disease of dogs, cats, man and other animals which infection is through bite and silica of infected dog or certain specie of wild bat.”.
Speaking earlier, Dr Charles Diai, Director of Veterinary Services in the ministry, said that the flag-off was an annual programme of the state government targeted at eliminating rabies and other related animal disease before year 2030.
He noted that the World’s Rabies Day is celebrated on Sept.28 annually which the state also participated in the sensitization the general public on the vicious killer disease.
He said that today’s flag-off was part of the State Government’s bid to eliminate the scourge before the year 2030 target.
“Our target this year is to vaccinate over 5,000 dogs across the state against rabies; as at last year, we have been able to immunize 3, 620 dogs but we are targeting a higher number as the year go on with a view to eliminate the disease, he said.
