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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1981
RABIES UNDER CONTROL
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THE CURRENT OUTBREAK OF RABIES HAS BEEN EFFECTIVELY CONTROLLED AND THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT HAS DECIDED TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF THE INFECTED AREA.
ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY (FRIDAY), THE SENIOR VETERINARY OFFICER OF THE DEPARTMENT, MR THOMAS YIP SAID WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT THE INFECTED AREA WILL BE CONFINED TO THE FRONTIER CLOSED AREA ONLY. UP TO NOW THE INFECTED AREA COVERS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE NEW TERRITORIES AND INCLUDES THE FRONTIER CLOSED AREA.
AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THIS EFFECT IS CONTAINED IN TODAY'S GOVERNMENT GAZETTE.
MR YIP SAID THE INFECTED AREA WAS DESIGNATED TO RESTRICT THE MOVEMENT OF DOGS TO CONTAIN THE DISEASE AFTER THE FIRST CASE OF RABIES WAS CONFIRMED ON OCTOBER 4 LAST YEAR.
+ IMMEDIATELY AFTER CONFIRMATION OF THE OUTBREAK THE DEPARTMENT'S RESOURCES WERE MOBILISED TO ROUND UP AND ELIMINATE STRAY DOGS, AND TO INOCULATE OTHERS.+
CONSIDERABLE RESOURCES INCLUDING STAFF AND VEHICLES WERE RE-DEPLOYED FROM THEIR ON-GOING WORK FOR THE CONTROL OF RABIES.
AT THE HEIGHT OF THE OPERATION, MORE THAN 300 STAFF MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT AND TEMPORARY WORKERS WERE ENGAGED IN RABIES CONTROL WORK. IN ADDITION, MANY OFFICERS WERE REQUIRED TO WORK OVERTIME.
OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT ALSO ASSISTED IN SUCH WORK AS REMOVAL AND DISPOSAL OF DOG CARCASSES.
THE FEE OF $15 PAYABLE AT THE TIME OF LICENSING FOR DOGS WAS WAIVED SO AS TO ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO INOCULATE AND LICENSE THE IR DOGS.
ALL GOVERNMENT KENNELS STAYED OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD TO COPE WITH THE SITUATION. MOBILE TEAMS AND STATIC CENTRES ALSO OPERATED SEVEN DAYS A WEEK TO ASSIST IN THE OPERATION.
ROAD BLOCKS WERE SET UP ON THE FRINGES OF THE INFECTED AREA TO CHECK DOG MOVEMENTS SO THAT POTENTIALLY INFECTIOUS ANIMALS WERE KEPT AWAY FROM THE NON-INFECTED AREA. THEY WERE MANNED BY STAFF OF THE DEPARTMENT WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE CIVIL AID SERVICES AND THE POLICE.
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