FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1986
A GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY WILL BE PUBLISHED TOMORROW (SATURDAY) TO GIVE RETROSPECTIVE EFFECT TO THE DESIGNATION.
THE DEPARTMENT'S ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (AGRICULTURE), DR THOMAS YIP, SAID THE DESIGNATION OF THE ADDITIONAL AREA FOLLOWED CONFIRMATION OF AN INDIGENOUS RABIES CASE IN THE VILLAGE EARLY THIS WEEK.
THIS INVOLVED A THREE-YEAR-OLD MONGREL BITCH WHICH DIED OF RABIES WHILE UNDER OBSERVATION AFFER BITING A 75-YEAR-OLD WOMAN.
DR YIP SAID IN THE RABIES INFECTED AREA, NO DOGS ARE ALLOWED TO BE BROUGHT INTO OR OUT OF SUCH AREAS WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION FROM THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES.
+SPECIAL SIGNS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ERECTED AROUND THE AREA TO WARN LOCAL RESIDENTS TO THIS EFFECT.
IN THE DESIGNATED AREA, INTENSIVE OPERATIONS ARE BEING CARRIED OUT INCLUDING HOUSE-TO-HOUSE VISITS TO ENSURE THAT ALL DOGS ARE INOCULATED AND LICENSED. SPECIAL SWEEPING EXERCISES ARE CONTINUING IN AN EFFORT TO GET RID OF STRAY DOGS.
IN TODAY'S OPERATION CARRIED OUT IN THE AREA, 47 DOGS WERE INOCULATED OR RE-INOCULATED AND 28 UNLICENSED DOGS, INCLUDING EIGHT STRAYS, WERE ROUNDED UP AND PUT DOWN.
ON A TERRITORY-WIDE BASIS, STRINGENT ANTI-RABIES MEASURES WILL CONTINUE IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE RISK OF AN OUTBREAK TO A MINIMUM.
DR YIP SAID THAT BECAUSE OF THE COMPLICATED EPIDEMIOLOGY OF RABIES, THE THREAT OF SPORADIC OUTBREAKS STILL EXISTED AND HE URGED DOG OWNERS TO HAVE THEIR DOGS INOCULATED AND TO EXERCISE PROPER CONTROL OVER THEIR PETS AT ALL TIMES.
HE ADVISED THAT ANY DOG-BITING INCIDENT MUST BE REPORTED TO THE POLICE WITHOUT DELAY AND THE ANIMAL INVOLVED HANDED OVER TO THE NEAREST GOVERNMENT KENNEL FOR OBSERVATION.
PROMPT REPORTING WOULD ENABLE EARLY DETECTION AND DIAGNOSIS OF THE DISEASE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES COULD ALSO BE TAKEN AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, DR YIP EMPHASISED.
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