Given current statistics and with proper vaccination and education, it is expected there will be no new rabies cases within three to four months, a veterinary official told Channel NewsAsia.
Sumisha Naidu Channel NewsAsia 28 Sep 15;
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian veterinary officials are hopeful that a rabies outbreak in its northern states will stabilise in a few months, as animal rights groups' continue to protest the precautionary mass culling of stray dogs.
In an interview with Channel NewsAsia to mark World Rabies Day on Monday (Sep 28), the deputy director-general of the Department of Veterinary Services, Dr Kamarudin Md Isa, said given current statistics and with proper vaccination and education, it is expected there will be no new rabies cases within three to four months.
More than 2,600 stray dogs have been put to sleep so far since one tested positive for rabies in late July. That was the first rabies case in Malaysia in almost two decades and authorities believe rabid dogs from neighbouring Thailand may be to blame.
Across Perlis, Kedah and Penang, at least 42 dogs have tested positive for the disease that can be fatal to both humans and dogs.
Fears of an epidemic and limited amounts of available vaccine have led to affected states culling stray dogs.
There has been backlash from animal rights activists but the greatest outcry has come from Penang, where people are volunteering to house dogs to spare them from the government ordered cull.
But their resources are limited.
Penang non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as Save Our Strays are appealing for items to help with the care of the stray dogs they are taking in, such as cages, food, dog leashes and medication.
In Kuala Lumpur, Tong War Yee has volunteered to collect the supplies and send them to Penang. "There's many people in KL willing to help them but they don't have the transport to Penang so I decided to find a lorry and store room right here," said the 24-year-old volunteer.
Malaysian veterinary officials are aware of the backlash against the large-scale cull and have ordered more than 50,000 doses of vaccine to boost supplies. But they say the putting down of dogs cannot be avoided completely.
"Many people see this as not a good idea because they say that it's not the dogs’ problem but once the dogs are infected they become a risk to the main population, so we need to remove the risk," said Dr Kamarudin.
But it is a risk that may always persist in Malaysia as long as it has a stray dog population.
"We really need cooperation by all parties, not just blaming government, authorities, departments for taking up measures to reduce the risks,” Dr Kamarudin. “They also should be able to come up with their own plan, how to make sure these stray dogs aren't stray anymore, how to take care of the stray dogs so they become a population that can be managed."
On this, the government and animal groups can agree. They say Malaysians need to be more responsible in spaying and neutering their pets so no animal is left vulnerable on the streets to rabies or any other disease.
- CNA/ec
