North Durban residents welcome free vaccine programme
The KZN Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said they had a positive response to their free rabies vaccination programme.
DURBAN North residents came out in their numbers this week as KZN Department of Agriculture and Rural Development returned to north Durban for its second round of free rabies vaccinations.
Throughout the week, residents brought their dogs and cats to Animal Health Technicians from the department to be vaccinated against the infectious disease. According to statistics, most human rabies cases in SA are reported in KZN, the Eastern Cape, and Limpopo.
While rabies is almost 100% fatal, it is preventable through timely and appropriate post-exposure prophylaxis in humans following possible exposures.
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Rabies in dogs (and cats) can be controlled through vaccination. The rabies virus is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal when it bites, scratches or licks a person.
“As always we’ve had an excellent response from residents across Durban North and uMhlanga,” explained animal health technician Titus Letsoalo. “When residents bring their vaccination cards they are always up to date. Even if it is not from us (the department) it shows there are so many responsible pet owners in the area. We rarely see cases of rabies in the area,” he said.
Letsoalo said they hoped to do another programme targeting the Avoca and Greenwood Park areas later this year.
On Wednesday last week pet owners lined up in Sunningdale to get their animals vaccinated against rabies.
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Local resident Chandler Venketiah brought his dog Rex for his jab and praised the department’s work.
“The service was great and it was a very easy process. I’m happy the department continues to offer the free vaccines and my hope is it continues. I would encourage all pet owners to take advantage of the programme whenever they visit the area you live in,” he said.
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