SOCIAL SERVICES
Veterinary
The veterinary work of the Urban Council is supervised by a Senior Veterinary Officer. The Council is responsible for the Colony's two abattoirs and the animal quarantine stations. In addition, it has statutory powers for the control of rabies and other animal diseases within the Colony.
During the year the campaign to eradicate rabies was pursued with continued vigour. Altogether 15,919 dogs were licensed and inoculated with a new type of vaccine, avianised Flury strain virus; and 247 unlicensed dogs were caught and destroyed. As a result, the urban area remained completely free of rabies although six isolated cases occurred in the frontier villages of the New Territories where there was one human death from rabies.
The work of inoculating farmstock against certain diseases was carried out by the staff of the Agricultural Department under the supervision of the Council's Senior Veterinary Officer. Inoculation against rinder- pest was provided for 10,800 cattle and buffaloes. No case of this disease occurred during the year. Although livestock diseases are widespread throughout the Colony, none assumed serious proportions.
A total of 695,658 swine, 3,976 cattle and buffaloes and 11,042 goats were handled at the Council's animal depots and abattoirs and of these over 95% were imported.
Pest Control
The Pest Control Section has a total strength of seventy three employees, under a Pest Control Officer.
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