By Jacob Achoi
KUCHING, Apr 10: Sarawak has initiated a trial of oral rabies vaccination (ORV) aimed at dogs that roam freely and are difficult to capture or handle, including those that are hard for their owners to restrain.
For the project, the government has procured 5,000 units of edible bait, which are being stored at the Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC) under cold conditions to preserve their effectiveness.
The initiative complements the conventional injectable vaccination method, with the government aiming to vaccinate about 70 per cent of the dog population to effectively control rabies.
The programme, held today at the Padawan Municipal Council (MPP), was led by the Sarawak Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) Deputy Director (Veterinary Health and Compliance), Dr Nicholas Jenek.
It involved 80 participants from the Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA), Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC), Immune Belt Programme Team (IBET), and MPP, as well as volunteers.
“For the programme, which is a new approach, we place edible bait in areas frequented by targeted dogs so they can consume it and develop strong antibodies within a month,” he said to reporters, adding that the programme will be a month-long one.
He said that the approach was also practised on wildlife, adding that it was carried out in Cambodia, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Indonesia. — DayakDaily
