Vet on call: Do not confuse this cow disease with deadly rabies
A veterinary officer vaccinates a cow against rabies in Mombasa in January. Livestock farmers ought to note that some cows with rabies may also behave as though they are on heat.
Rabies transmission is classified into the domestic and the sylvatic or wildlife cycles. The domestic cycle has the dog as the key transmitter to humans and domestic animals.
Scientifically, it is accepted that the best way of breaking the dog rabies transmission cycle for humans and domestic animals is to routinely vaccinate 70 per cent of the domestic dogs for at least five years.
Diligent vaccination of all domestic dogs, combined with post-exposure treatment of people bitten by dogs, would eliminate rabies deaths in domestic dogs and humans.
Rabies is a viral disease that affects warm-blooded animals but is most common in the domestic dog.
The World Rabies Day was observed globally on September 28, with TV stations and newspapers spearheading discussion on the disease.
This was a good indication that a combination of stakeholders understands the need to participate in rabies eradication interventions to rid the country the disease.
