XN000022-1992-08-15 — Page 4

SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 1992

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SPECIAL ANTI-RABIES INOCULATION DRIVE IN FISHING PORTS

THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT WILL LAUNCH A DOG INOCULATION DRIVE IN FISHING PORTS OVER THE NEXT WEEK OR FISHERMEN TO HAVE THEIR DOGS IMMUNISED AGAINST RABIES.

SPECIAL

SO FOR

то HELP INOCULATION

THE DRIVE, A REGULAR EXERCISE SINCE 1980, IS INTENDED FISHERMEN WHO HAVE LITTLE TIME TO TAKE THEIR DOGS TO AN CENTRE OR A GOVERNMENT KENNEL FOR INOCULATION.

STARTING FROM MONDAY (AUGUST 17), THE DEPARTMENT'S INOCULATION TEAMS WILL GO TO THE TERRITORY'S SEVEN FISHING AFTER THE OTHER AND MAKE BOAT-TO-BOAT VISITS BETWEEN 10 AM DAILY.

MOBILE DOG PORTS ONE AND 4 PM

THE WHOLE OPERATION IS EXPECTED TO LAST FOR SEVEN WORKING UNTIL AUGUST 25.

DAYS

17;

THEY WILL VISIT THE FISHING PORTS IN SHA TAU KOK ON AUGUST SHAU KEI WAN ON AUGUST 17 AND 18; SAM MUN CHAI ON AUGUST 18 AND 19; CHEUNG CHAU ON AUGUST 19 AND 20; CASTLE PEAK BAY ON AUGUST 20 AND

21; SAI KUNG ON AUGUST 20 AND 21; AND ABERDEEN ON AUGUST 24 AND 25.

THE DEPARTMENT'S SENIOR VETERINARY OFFICER, DR K K

LIU, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY) 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, 1989 BY HAVING SUCCESSFULLY PREVENTED THE OUTBREAK OF ANY INDIGENOUS RABIES CASE SINCE JULY 10, 1987, HE SAID.

+

NEVERTHELESS, HE STRESSED THAT

TRANSMISSIBLE FROM ANIMALS TO HUMAN.

RABIES WAS A DEADLY DISEASE

DOGS ON FISHING VESSELS ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE BECAUSE OF THEIR POSSIBLE CONTACTS WITH OTHER ANIMALS OUTSIDE HONG KONG.

"IT IS, THEREFORE, IMPORTANT THAT FISHERMEN'S DOGS ARE INOCULATED AGAINST THE DISEASE AT LEAST EVERY THREE YEARS TO KEEP UP THEIR IMMUNITY," DR LIU ADDED.

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

"THE DRIVE WAS LAUNCHED IN 1980, SINCE THEN A TOTAL OF DOGS OWNED BY FISHERMEN HAVE BEEN INOCULATED, HE NOTED.

4,521

UNDER THE DOGS AND CATS ORDINANCE, ALL DOGS OVER FIVE MONTHS OLD ARE REQUIRED ΤΟ BE LICENSED AND INOCULATED AGAINST RABIES. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RENDER THE OWNER LIABLE TO A MAXIMUM FINE OF $5,000 AND SIX MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT.

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