Routine Control, North Penajam Paser Supplied 800 Doses of Rabies Vaccine

EAST KALIMANTAN - The Agriculture Office of North Penajam Paser Regency (PPU), East Kalimantan received 800 doses of rabies vaccine for control and prevention.

Head of the Husbandry and Animal Health Division at the PPU District Office, Arief Murdyatno, said that rabies control is routinely carried out every year in the district. That's because rabies is a zoonotic disease whose impact can harm human health.

"We have received 800 doses of rabies vaccine distribution from the Animal Husbandry and Animal Health Office of East Kalimantan Province, out of a total target of 1,000 doses this year", he said in Penajam, East Kalimantan, Tuesday, February 7, confiscated by Antara.

He explained that the rabies vaccine is intended for animals carrying rabies, such as dogs, cats and monkeys. Rabies is a strategic infectious animal disease so it needs to be controlled, moreover, rabies is a deadly disease that is transmitted from animals to humans.

He said that until this year the rabies cases in PPU District were still under control thanks to various efforts made such as vaccination, elimination, controlling the population of rabies-carrying animals, education and community development.

The education and guidance that is carried out are related to the dangers of rabies and the importance of protecting the residents' favourite animals so that they are not infected with the rabies virus, namely by carrying out routine and periodic vaccinations.

His party also often conducts communication, education and information (IEC) to the public, both people in certain areas, animal-loving communities and local government employees.

Mass rabies vaccination (Varmas) is carried out in the month of Varmas, namely between July and August, while regular vaccination programs outside the Varmas schedule can be served as long as vaccine supplies last, although some are vaccinated at clinics or veterinarians' practices.

"In the last few years, there have been no reports of cases of bites by animals infected with rabies. The last reported bite case was in 2017, then direct observations were carried out and collaborating with related parties", he said.

The parties invited to work together at that time were the Health Service and hospitals in PPU Regency, namely to ensure that patients received the anti-rabies vaccine (VAR) or anti-rabies serum (SAR) to awaken the body's immune system against the rabies virus and antibodies to neutralize the rabies virus.

"This VAR/SAR is also intended for field officers, as a team of vaccinators to minimize risks while they are in charge of carrying out rabies vaccinations on rabies-carrying animals", said Arief.