Johannesburg - The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will provide free rabies vaccinations from Monday to Wednesday at various locations in Muldersdrift, Lanseria, the Zandspruit informal settlement, the Lion Park and the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve.
Five rabies cases - in jackals and a dog in Muldersdrift, Kromdraai and Lanseria - have been reported in the past month.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said yesterday that at least two cases of rabies exposure in humans were also reported. Both people received medical treatment and neither became infected with the disease.
The five infected animals were put down for safety reasons.
NICD deputy director Lucille Blumberg said the institute worked closely with the Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture.
“We want to alert people so that they ensure their own animals are vaccinated.
“I think a lot of people in Gauteng don’t vaccinate their dogs and cats because there is a perception that there isn’t rabies around, although there is from time to time,” said Blumberg.
Dietana Nemudzivhadi, director for animal health in the Gauteng Provincial Veterinary Services, said her department had done a preliminary round of vaccinations on 94 dogs.
“We want to make sure we have wide coverage, because remember, rabies is an easily preventable disease if the dog and cat population is vaccinated.”
The Star
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