Over 2m dogs, cats vaccinated against Rabies in Thailand

BANGKOK, March 20 (TNA) - The Department of Livestock Development, under the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, reports that over two million dogs and cats nationwide have been vaccinated against Rabies so far, which is expected to relieve outbreaks of the deadly disease in the country. The department's director-general, Dr. Apai Suttisunk, told journalists of the update on Tuesday, saying that his department is working together with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on the mission until May 2018, when about 80 per cent of dogs and cats nationwide are expected to be vaccinated against Rabies. Confirming that about 2.08 million dogs and cats nationwide have already been vaccinated against Rabies, Dr. Apai acknowledged it is possible that a locally-produced vaccine against Rabies may be developed in the future with the equivalent quality and internationally-recognized standards of those imported but more reasonable prices. According to the senior official, Thailand has imported 800,000-900,000 doses of vaccines against Rabies from the United States and Europe annually, priced 15-16 baht each, all of which normally have their 18-month expiry and must be kept at the low temperaturs of 2-8 degrees Celcius. The senior Thai official stated that about 80 per cent of dogs and cats detected to have been infected with Rabies in the country so far were not vaccinated, suggesting people, or their pets, accidentally bit by dogs or cats that are suspected to have been infected with Rabies to immediately see, or bring their pets to see, the doctors, soonest after swiftly cleaning the bite initially, for being vaccinated against the fatal disease properly. Updated reports mentioned that Rabies outbreaks in Thailand have been reduced from nearly 40 provinces to about two dozens provinces currently. (TNA)