By Dilanthi Jayamanne
The number of rabies victims reported countrywide has been on the decrease, Public Health Veterinary Service (PHVS) says.
Head of the PHVS, Dr. P. L. A. Harischandra said yesterday that in 2010 the number of victims reported had been 49 and the figure had dropped to 43 last year.
Dr. Harishchandra said the decrease was due to the successful canine vaccination and sterilisation programme carried out by the government and local government authorities. One million dogs had been vaccinated against rabies last year and surgeries performed on over 85,000 female animals.
The government and donor agencies had given one billion rupees to the Health Ministry to battle rabies, Dr. Harishchandra said.
The Ministry was planning to spend those funds on a programme to register all dogs in the country with the help of local government institutions in order to prevent rabies. Owners would have to ensure that their dogs were given the anti-rabies vaccine, Dr Harischandra said.
Chief City Vet of the Veterinary Department of the Colombo Municipal Council Dr. S. D. Illeperuma said 8,185 domestic dogs had been vaccinated against rabies. Over five thousand stray dogs had been vaccinated by private organizations, he said.
Dr. Illeperuma said his department had registered 10,392 domestic dogs under the dog registration ordinance.
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