State gears up for World Veterinary Day
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 28 2011:
As observed across the world every year on the last Saturday of April, the World Veterinary Day would be observed on April 30 under the aegis of the World Veterinary Association based at New York.
Talking to The Sangai Express about the World Veterinary Day, Principal Investigator of the Disease Investigation Laboratory of the Veterinary Directorate Dr Ng Ibotombi informed that the Veterinary Day would be observed in the State with the Directorate of Veterinary as organisers and the Manipur State Veterinary Council as the sponsor.
The theme of the World Veterinary Day this year is 'Rabies', he said.
Cases of rabies have been found in 150 countries across the world.
Only the United Kingdom and Scotland have been identified as rabies-free.
It is reported that rabies claimed around 55,000 lives in a year in Asia and South African countries.
India alone accounted for 20,000 of the rabies victims in a year, Ibotombi said quoting a report of the World Health Organisation.
Rabies is a viral disease which is found in warm blooded mammals.
From these animals, the disease is transmitted to human beings.
In Manipur, most of the rabies cases were found to have been transmitted from dogs.
Eight cases of rabies infection to dogs was confirmed in 2010-11 and 13 in 2009-10 .
Some cases of rabies infection to cats were detected in 2004, Ibotombi said.
There is no vaccine to prevent transmission of rabies from animals to human beings.
During the World Veterinary Day observance, experts and scientists would be deliberating on the possible ways and means of eradicating rabies from the surface of earth.
As a part of the observance, a free vaccination programme for pet dogs and cats would be held at GM Hall and Sanjenthong under the aegis of the Directorate of Veterinary.
Similar vaccination programmes would be organised in all other district headquarters, Dr Ibotombi added.