Chiang Rai News
Livestock Officials Rush to Vaccinate Dogs and Cats Against Rabies in Chiang Rai
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CHIANG RAI – Officials from the Department of Livestock Development (DLD) gave rabies vaccine shots to dogs and cats at a temple in Chiang Rai’s Muang district on Wednesday morning following an outbreak of the fatal disease in the last few months.
The officials gave the shots to stray dogs and cats living in Wat Doi Phrabat in Tambon Rob Wiang. Residents in the neighbourhood were also told to bring their pet dogs and cats for free rabies shots.
Chiang Rai chief livestock officer Nopporn Mahakanya said the officials took the action after dogs in at least four villages in the tambon tested positive to rabies.
The uncontrolled rabies situation was blamed for breeders of animals, who did not follow required vaccination procedures. Besides, dogs and cats have yet been kept in houses so they were easily in contact with infected animals.
Chiang Rai is one of 13 provinces declared by the Livestocks Department as a red-alert area for rabies.
Rabies is a deadly virus spread to people from the saliva of infected animals. Globally, dogs are the most common animal involved. Rabies is present in over 150 countries.