Vaccinate pets against rabies, pet owners told

Cat and dog owners in Murang'a, South Sub County, have been urged to vaccinate their pets against rabies.The Sub County Veterinary Officer, Grace Maina, observed that one person had reportedly been bitten by a rabid dog in Kenol town, thus the need for all dog owners to ensure their pets get immunised against the deadly disease.'We did a ring vaccination for the affected area after we received those reports before embarking on subsequent vaccinations to contain any supposed outbreak scare,' she said.Rabies is a vaccine-preventable zoonotic viral disease affecting mammals, including dogs, cats, and livestock, that spreads through the saliva of the infected animal and affects the central nervous system by causing brain inflammation.According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), dog bites and scratches cause 99 per cent of human rabies cases and can be prevented through dog vaccination and bite prevention.However, in cases where the rabies virus affects the central nervous system and clinical sympt oms appear, it becomes 100 percent fatal.The deaths are, however, preventable with prompt post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) that stops the virus from reaching the central nervous system.It is recommended that if a person is bitten or scratched by a potentially rabid animal, they should seek PEP care immediately.Source : Kenya News Agency