Rabies: Dept to provide vaccination for animals at border areas
LAHAD DATU: The State Department of Veterinary Services will provide vaccination services for animals in areas near a neighbouring country as a measure to prevent a rabies outbreak.
Tawau Veterinary Services Department senior assistant director Dr Lorren Adam said it was an initial step to control the spread of an outbreak into the state.
“We will be focusing on areas such as Kalabakan in Tawau and Tanjung Labian, here in Lahad Datu.
“This preventative measure is needed in order to avoid the spread into the state and endangering animals as well as human beings,” he said during the launch of a sterilization campaign organized by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Lahad Datu (SPCA) with the cooperation of Lahad Datu and Tawau Veterinary Services Department, yesterday.
Lorren who represented the director of the State Department of Veterinary Services praised the organization of the programme that could prevent the spread of various infectious diseases brought by wild animals.
He said the efforts should not stop here as it was a noble effort and the Veterinary Services Department would provide full support on such efforts.
In the meantime, Lorren also encourage SPCA to work together with the District Council as the matter involving wild animals are under the responsibility of the Council.
Meanwhile, the advisor of Lahad Datu SPCA, Tan Cheng Teng thanked all those involved in the campaign.
Tan said the campaign aimed to ensure that wild animals were under control and would not endanger humans by becoming a source of disease, including rabies.
The three-day campaign, he added, would provide appropriate treatments to the animals such as vaccines or to neuter to reduce production.