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Rabies
October 16, 2013
In New Zealand we are extremely lucky that we do not have rabies. This disease is fatal and kills around 55000 people each year. There are many countries in the world where rabies is a big issue and rabid dogs are the main source of infection. There is a vaccine available for rabies and in many parts of the world pets are routinely vaccinated against rabies.
In the Serengeti domestic dogs account for 85% of human cases. MSD, the health care company which supplies our dog vaccines is involved with a project in the Serengeti aimed at vaccinating domestic dogs against rabies. So far, a million doses of the rabies vaccine have been donated by MSD. Vaccination against rabies and increased awareness has lead to a decrease in human deaths from rabies by 86% and in villages where they have attained a 70% vaccination rate there have been no rabies cases reported. This shows how effective the rabies vaccination is at controlling rabies. MSD in involved in a dose for dose campaign.
This means that for every cat and dog vaccinated around the world, using one of their vaccines, they make a contribution to the Serengeti rabies vaccination scheme. So by ensuring your own animals are vaccinated you are also helping save lives in Africa. And that is a pretty powerful thing to do! If you are interested in learning more about the Serengeti project or rabies in general, check out www.afya.org or www.worldrabiesday.org