West Pasaman Regency Government Intensifies Pet Vaccination To Prevent Rabies Transmission

Illustration-(Photo: DOK ANTARA)

PASAMAN BARAT - Pemerintah Kabupaten Pasaman Barat, Provinsi Sumatra Barat melaksanakan vaksinasi pada petat guna mencegah penularan rabies, penyakit hewan yang bisa menular ke manusia. Head of Animal Husbandry and Animal Health Division of the Plantation and Livestock Service of West Pasaman Regency, Ikhsan Radika, said that since last Wednesday, his party has carried out VAR injections on residents' pets. "We are assisted by six animal health workers to vaccinate in Pasaman District. There are 200 doses of vaccination in Nagari Aia Gadang for 200 pets such as dogs and cats," he said at Simpang Empat, Antara, Sunday, July 16. In addition, the Plantation and Livestock Service provides 100 doses of VAR to vaccinate pets in Nagari Lingkuang Aua and 180 doses of VAR to vaccinate pets in Nagari Aura Kuniang. The West Sumatra Provincial Animal Husbandry and Health Service will send 500 doses of VAR to support the implementation of mass pet vaccinations in West Pasaman Regency in August 2023. "RAbies vaccine assistance was distributed to West Pasaman because in May 2023 there were reports that one Nagari Aia Gadang resident died after being bitten by a dog," he said. He appealed to residents who raise dogs, cats, and monkeys to ensure that their pets have received rabies vaccinations. "We invite people who have dogs, cats and monkeys to carry out routine vaccinations for pets," he said. Meanwhile, animal vaccination officer Ari Mardatilah revealed that there are still dog owners who do not bind their pets and do not allow their pets to be vaccinated. Therefore, he conveyed the importance of vaccination in dogs, cats, and monkeys to prevent the transmission of the rabies virus. " Dog vaccinations are regularly once a year. Dog vaccinations have been around since the age of two weeks," he said. In the West Pasaman area, 26 cases of animal bites from rabies transmission from January to June 2023 were reported and one case caused people to die. Rabies includes zoonosis, an animal disease that can be transmitted to humans. Diseases caused by infection with the rabies virus can be transmitted through bite, smell, or scratch of animals such as dogs, cats, monkeys, and apes infected with the virus. In order to prevent rabies disease or mad dog disease, routine vaccinations must be carried out on pets who can become intermediaries for the transmission of the rabies virus.

rabies vaccination is also needed by people who are at risk of contracting the rabies virus. In this case, vaccination can be done before or after exposure to the virus.