Need for mass awareness on Rabies emphasizes on World Veterinary Day
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, April 30 2011: A centre for investigation into the bacterial and viral diseases of animal will be commissioned during the month of May next, said Veterinary and Animal Husbandry minister, N Loken today.

Speaking as chief guest at the observance of the 11th World Veterinary Day held at the conference hall of the conference hall of the Manipur Veterinary Council at Sanjenthong, the minister said that the "Disease Investigation Laboratory" is to be opened at the state veterinary hospital at Sanjenthong.

Once the laboratory is opened, then, there would be facilities for testing diseases infecting to the cattle from time to time and will help in controlling the disease, he hopes.

Talking about the service condition of the state veterinary and animal husbandry services, the minister assured that the yet to enforce Manipur Veterinary Services Rules 1994 will be enforced at the earliest.

While asserting that Director of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services, Dr Th Jiban, speaking on the occasion said that The World Veterinary Day to mark the 250th anniversary of veterinary education and the establishment of the veterinary profession.

The theme of this year's observation of the day was "Rabies" .

Rabies remains the most significant viral zoonotic disease in the 21st century, according to veterinary director, Dr Th Jiban who said that a high number of people and animals were infected by the disease.

Rabies kills one person for every 10 minutes in the world and 99% of the people killed by the dreaded disease were children of minor age.

More than 25,000 have been killed during the previous year 2010, he added.

Earlier, the service of veterinary was concentrated only in the treatment of diseases in animal but now-a-days the scope has been expanded and also dealt with the enhancement of production of livestock, food safety and prevention of diseases spreading from animal to human being, he added.

Principal secretary (Veterinary and Animal Husbandry), IS Laishram, asserted that non-implementation of various Central sponsored programmes and schemes related with the veterinary and animal husbandry in the state is an unfortunate thing.

In a move to implement these programmes, government is considering for filling up of vacant posts in the department, he said informing that a total of 44 posts in different categories are lying vacant in the department.

A discussion on the theme of the observation of the day was also held at the concluding part of the function in which Dr Ng Ibotombi, an officer of the disease investigation laboratory of the department talked on "Rabies in Manipur" and Dr K Gopal on "Protection of Rabies" .

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