If nothing else, the recent controversy surrounding the stray dog problem has led to a public airing of the facts and statistics concerning the stray dog population of Sri Lanka and the incidence of rabies. This is to be welcomed, as the education of the community is an essential part of fighting disease – apart from the desirability, in a democracy, of keeping the public informed, in general.
While in most other tropical countries, wild animals are significant vectors in the spread of rabies, in this island the disease propagates
predominantly through dogs – who account for 96 percent of human cases; 3 percent are caused by wild animals and 1 percent by cats.
The stray dog population, we are told, stands at 3 million, and is rising despite the government spending a billion rupees a year to sterilise dogs and despite the efforts a several non-governmental organizations, such as the Dogstar Foundation, Sathva Mithra, Animal Welfare Trust, KACPAW and Embark which try to get stray dogs off the streets and into homes.
Read full article: http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/01/12/fea02.asp
Rabies Data, Stray Dogs Crowding Hospitals and Dog Sterilizations
By Champa Fernando, Secretary, KACPAW
(Kandy Association for Community Protection through Animal Welfare)
From time to time, we see in the media Health Ministry officials being quoted that rabies has increased. If certain data is taken in isolation, the picture with regard to rabies can be made to look rather ominous.
While in most other tropical countries, wild animals are significant vectors in the spread of rabies, in this island the disease propagates
predominantly through dogs – who account for 96 percent of human cases; 3 percent are caused by wild animals and 1 percent by cats.
The stray dog population, we are told, stands at 3 million, and is rising despite the government spending a billion rupees a year to sterilise dogs and despite the efforts a several non-governmental organizations, such as the Dogstar Foundation, Sathva Mithra, Animal Welfare Trust, KACPAW and Embark which try to get stray dogs off the streets and into homes.
Read full article: http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/01/12/fea02.asp
Rabies Data, Stray Dogs Crowding Hospitals and Dog Sterilizations
By Champa Fernando, Secretary, KACPAW
(Kandy Association for Community Protection through Animal Welfare)
From time to time, we see in the media Health Ministry officials being quoted that rabies has increased. If certain data is taken in isolation, the picture with regard to rabies can be made to look rather ominous.
We studied the Rabies Statistical Bulletin of 2010 of the Ministry of Health and actually it shows a significant decrease in five key areas as shown in the following table:
It is significant that these reductions were achieved by humane methods without killing or removing any dog.
In order to obtain further desirable and significant results in the above five areas and increase financial savings we propose the following:
Read full article: http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=42970
It is significant that these reductions were achieved by humane methods without killing or removing any dog.
In order to obtain further desirable and significant results in the above five areas and increase financial savings we propose the following:
Read full article: http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=42970
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