TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1994

13

ANTI-RABIES INOCULATION DRIVE IN FISHING PORTS

* * * * *

SPECIAL

THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT WILL LAUNCH A DOG INOCULATION DRIVE IN FISHING PORTS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS SO THAT FISHERMEN CAN HAVE THEIR DOGS IMMUNISED AGAINST RABIES.

HELP

THE DRIVE, A REGULAR EXERCISE SINCE 1980, IS INTENDED TO

AN INOCULATION FISHERMEN WHO FIND LITTLE TIME TO TAKE THEIR DOGS TO CENTRE OR A GOVERNMENT KENNEL FOR INOCULATION.

WILL AM

FROM THURSDAY (JANUARY 27), MOBILE DOG INOCULATION TEAMS GO TO SEVEN FISHING PORTS AND MAKE BOAT-TO-BOAT VISITS BETWEEN 10

TO EXPECTED

LAST UNTIL AND 4 PM DAILY. THE WHOLE OPERATION IS FEBRUARY 4.

ON

THEY WILL VISIT THE FISHING PORTS IN ABERDEEN AND SAI KUNG

JANUARY JANUARY 27 AND 28; SHA TAU KOK ON JANUARY 31; SHAU KEI WAN ON

CHAU ON 31 AND FEBRUARY 1; SAM MUN CHAI ON FEBRUARY 1 AND 2; CHEUNG FEBRUARY 2 AND 3 AS WELL AS CASTLE PEAK BAY ON FEBRUARY 3 AND 4.

DR SIMON THE DEPARTMENT'S ACTING SENIOR VETERINARY OFFICER, SAFE, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY) THAT THE DRIVE WAS PART OF THE GOVERNMENT'S CONTINUING EFFORTS TO PREVENT THE OUTBREAK OF RABIES IN HONG KONG.

"THE TERRITORY REGAINED THE RABIES-FREE AREA STATUS ON JULY 10, INDIGENOUS 1989 BY HAVING SUCCESSFULLY PREVENTED THE OUTBREAK OF ANY RABIES CASE SINCE JULY 10, 1987," HE SAID.

NEVERTHELESS,

DEADLY

HE

A

DISEASE STRESSED THAT RABIES WAS

DOGS ON FISHING VESSELS ARE ANIMALS TO HUMANS. TRANSMISSIBLE FROM

OTHER PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE BECAUSE OF THEIR POSSIBLE CONTACTS WITH ANIMALS OUTSIDE HONG KONG.

"IT

IS.

THEREFORE,

IMPORTANT THAT

FISHERMEN'S

DOGS

INOCULATED AGAINST THE DISEASE AT LEAST EVERY THREE YEARS TO KEEP THEIR IMMUNITY," DR SAFE ADDED.

ARE

UP

HE CALLED ON FISHERMEN WHO OWNED DOGS TO MAKE FULL USE OF SPECIAL INOCULATION SERVICE.

THE

SINCE THE DRIVE WAS LAUNCHED IN 1980, 4,948 FISHERMEN HAVE BEEN INOCULATED.

DOGS OWNED

BY

ARE

FIVE MONTHS UNDER THE DOGS AND CATS ORDINANCE, ALL DOGS OVER

INOCULATED AGAINST RABIES. OLD

BE LICENSED AND REQUIRED TO

FINE OF FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RENDER THE OWNER LIABLE TO A MAXIMUM $5,000 AND SIX MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT.

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