City Hall to vaccinate 5,000 animals against rabies

Nairobi county has started a nine-day vaccination campaign of dogs, cats and donkeys against rabies.

The exercise targets 5,000 animals. It will take place in  Kasarani, Embakasi East, Embakasi Central and Kibera subcounties.

It will also involve the neutering of dogs and cats to control their breeding habits.

Daniel Karugu, acting director of veterinary services, said the exercise was necessitated by an incident on January 20, in Kasarani, where a dog suspected of having rabies bit a resident.

“We target to vaccinate 4,000 dogs, 500 cats and 500 donkeys against the deadly rabies virus,” Karugu said.

Some organisations such as Trap Neuter and Release Trust, Kenya Network for Dissemination of Agricultural Technologies and Spay Sisters of United are helping the county to ensure the exercise is successful.

Others are the Kenya Veterinary Association Women Branch, Kenya Small and Companion Animal Veterinary Association, and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Nairobi.

The exercise will take place at Matopeni Car wash, Mihang’o chief camp, Kayole Two Social Hall, Soweto Social Hall, Embakasi Village chief’s camp, Kayole North ward offices and Calvary grounds

Other places are Kibera DC grounds, Karen Plains, Hardy Shopping Centre, Bus terminus near Showground in Kibera and Otiende Shopping Centre Dam, near Kenol. 

Governor Ann Kananu has urged residents of the respective areas to fully cooperate to eradicate and minimise the effects of rabies in the community.

She said Kamulu, Ruai and Utawala are amongst the estates that are known to  have a high donkey population which the community relies on for domestic services

“Rabies is managed through vaccination which cuts the transmission cycle and neutering dogs and cats which limits their populations. Rabies vaccination of dogs is compulsory in Nairobi, neutering is voluntary,” Kananu said.

In a similar exercise, in March last year, 165 cats and dogs from Nairobi’s Eastlands were vaccinated against rabies

Data from the World Health Organization estimates that one person dies from human rabies every nine minutes.

It states 40 per cent of rabies victims are children under 15 years.

Agriculture and Forestry executive Lucia Mulwa called upon dog owners in the city, to be responsible, take care of their dogs by ensuring they are fed well and vaccinated.

She said it was cheaper to prevent rabies by vaccinating dogs than treating human rabies.

On average rabies post-exposure prophylaxis costs between Sh5,000 and Sh7,500.

“Human rabies can be prevented by vaccinating at least 70 per cent of the dog population. The rabies virus attacks the brain, and once symptoms appear, it is 100 per cent fatal,” Mukwa said.

Symptoms of human rabies include fever, headache, excess salivation, muscle spasms, paralysis, mental confusion and death within 14 days.

Edited by Kiilu Damaris