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SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 1993

ANTI-RABIES INOCULATION DRIVE IN FISHING PORTS

*

SPECIAL

THAT

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

HELP

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

STARTING FROM MONDAY (AUGUST 16), THE DEPARTMENT'S MOBILE INOCULATION TEAMS WILL GO TO THE TERRITORY'S SEVEN FISHING PORTS

VISITS BETWEEN 10 AM AND 4 PM

THE MAKE BOAT-TO-BOAT

DAILY. OPERATION IS EXPECTED TO LAST UNTIL AUGUST 26.

DOG

AND

WHOLE

16;

AND 19;

THEY WILL VISIT THE FISHING PORTS IN SHA TAU KOK ON AUGUST MUN CHAI SHAM

18 ON AUGUST 17 AND 18; ABERDEEN ON AUGUST CASTLE PEAK BAY ON AUGUST 19 AND 20; CHEUNG CHAU ON AUGUST 23 AND AS WELL AS SHAU KEI WAN AND SAI KUNG ON AUGUST 25 AND 26.

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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.

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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 RABIES WAS A DEADLY DISEASE TRANSMISSIBLE FROM ANIMALS TO HUMAN. DOGS ON FISHING VESSELS ARB PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE BECAUSE OF THEIR POSSIBLE CONTACTS WITH ANIMALS OUTSIDE HONG KONG,

"IT IS.

OTHBR

KEEP UP

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

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

OF THE

SINCE THE DRIVE WAS LAUNCHED IN 1980, A TOTAL OF OWNED BY FISHERMEN HAVE BEEN INOCULATED.

4.790

DOGS

UNDER

THE DOGS AND CATS ORDINANCE, ALL DOGS OVER FIVE OLD ARE REQUIRED TO BE LICENSED AND

AGAINST INOCULATED

FAILURE TO

MONTHS RABIES.

FINE DO SO WILL RENDER THE OWNER LIABLE TO A MAXIMUM

OF

$5,000 AND SIX MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT.

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