THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1985
2
RABLES INFECTED AREA REDUCED
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THE DESIGNATED RABIES INFECTED AREA, WHERE MOVEMENT OF DOGS INTO AND OUT OF THE AREA ARE RESTRICTED, WILL BE REDUCED IN SIZE FROM TOMORROW (FRIDAY),
THE RABLES INFECTED AREA WILL BE CONFINED TO THE FRONTIER CLOSED AREA, THE AREA IMMEDIATELY SOUTH OF THE BORDER WITH CHINA, AND NO DOGS WILL BE ALLOWED INTO OR OUT OF THIS AREA WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE AGRI CULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT.
THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, DR JOHN RIDDELL- SWAN, SAID THE DECISION WAS MADE AS SIX MONTHS HAD LAPSED SINCE THE LAST RABIES CASE WAS REPORTED.
HOWEVER, HE EMPHASISED THERE WOULD BE NO LET UP IN THE DEPARTMENT'S EFFORTS TO PREVENT THE DISEASE FROM RECURRING, AND DOG CONTROL UNITS WOULD CONTINUE TO CATCH STRAY DOGS AND INOCULATE OTHERS.
WITHIN THE RABIES INFECTED AREA, DR RIDDELL-SWAN SAID STRINGENT ANTI-RABIES MEASURES WOULD CONTINUE TO BE ADOPTED INCLUDING HOUSE-TO-HOUSE VISITS TO ENSURE ALL DOGS WERE INOCULATED AND LICENSED. TALKS AND FILM SHOWS ON RABIES WOULD BE ORGANISED AND INFORMATION LEAFLETS ABOUT THE DISEASE DISTRIBUTED TO VILLAGERS.
SINCE THE FIRST RABIES CASE IN 25 YEARS WAS CONFIRMED IN OCTOBER 1980, MORE THAN 224 000 DOGS HAVE BEEN INOCULATED OR RE-INOCULATED AGAINST THE DISEASE AND OVER 140 000 STRAY DOGS ELIMINATED.
DOG OWNERS ARE REMINDED THAT THEIR DOGS MUST BE LICENSED AND INOCULATED EVERY THREE YEARS AND FAILURE TO DO SO COULD RENDER THE OWNER LIABLE TO A FINE OF $5 000.
LAST YEAR, SOME 600 PEOPLE WERE FINED FOR NOT KEEPING THEIR DOGS UNDER CONTROL OR FOR POSSESSION OF UNLICENSED DOGS.
MARCH CLOUDIER, COOLER THAN USUAL
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MARCH 1995 WAS CLOUDIER AND COOLER THAN USUAL. THE TOTAL DURATION OF BRIGHT SUNSHINE WAS ONLY 51.7 HOURS WHICH WAS 49.7 HOURS BELOW NORMAL, THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY REPORTS.
THE MEAN TEMPERATURE WAS 16.7 DEGREES CELSIUS WHICH WAS 1.8 DEGREES CELSIUS BELOW NORMAL.
/THE MONTH'S