Kohima, September 28: Veterinary Hospital Kohima, Government of Nagaland organized a free rabies vaccination camp on its premises at Tin Pati, Kohima on September 28 to mark the occasion of World Rabies Day.
Among the several people who turned up with their pets to avail the free vaccine, Gwavalo, a VII standard student of Baptist High Kohima was seen comforting his Pug for the impending injection of rabies vaccine.
Gwavalo said his pet ‘Tinkle’ was too choosy but he loved her. “She is my friend and she is a great company… I want to keep her safe and that is why we are here,” he said.
Doctor-in-charge of the vaccination camp, Veterinary Surgeon, Elizabeth Yhome said World Rabies Day was observed to create awareness for the dog owners and the general public about rabies and also about the various control measures and preventive steps that can be taken.
While this year’s World Rabies Day is themed “End rabies, Collaborate and Vaccinate,” it is a day for reflection for all of us that we still have a long way to go regarding the fight against the disease. Every year globally many people die of this disease, Yhome said.
She informed that rabies is usually caused by Rhabdovirus and it is transmitted from an infected dog to a healthy dog through bites, scratches and saliva. She also talked about the preventive steps that can be taken for both dogs and humans. It is always advisable to please keep your dog in a clean, dry and comfortable place.
The doctor also advised that it was best to never let your dog mix with stray dogs, and if a dog gets bitten by a dog with rabies, always consult a veterinary doctor or try to go to a veterinary hospital for examination and observation, Yhome said.
Rabies is a 100% preventable disease; it can be prevented by vaccinating the dog when it completes three months of age and then goes for yearly vaccination life-long.
The hospital used to carry out vaccination drives in villages, towns and wards and on an average 1400 to 1500 dogs are vaccinated in Kohima annually for quite some time. However, due to the pandemic we just had to resort to organizing a vaccination camp at our hospital compound. (Page News Service)
