Bali To Hold Fifth Mass Vaccination Campaign Targeting Stray Dogs

Denpasar (Antara Bali) - Bali will hold the fifth mass vaccination campaign against rabies starting April 15, targeting stray dogs, according to Putu Sumantra, the head of the Bali animal husbandry and health office.

The system this year, to be applied during the campaign, will be different from the ones held in previous campaigns, he stated here on Sunday.

This time, they will target stray dogs wandering in hilly and mountainous areas particularly, and puppies, which have been vaccinated before.

"Vaccination will also be given to puppies to protect and strengthen their immunity. Two week-old puppies can be vaccinated," he added.

He called upon the cooperation of the local people to help make the rabies-free Bali program a success.

The mass vaccination against rabies will be implemented from April 15 to July 31, with a target of 350 thousand dogs across Bali Island.

"We have prepared 90 personnel. I think it`s adequate. The official launch of the campaign will be held at Gunung Sari village, Seririt, Buleleng District," he confirmed.

However, in several villages in Buleleng, the vaccination program has been implemented since April 7.

A total of 120 thousand doses of vaccines have been distributed across nine districts in Bali, while 250 thousand others will are scheduled to arrive soon.

"Cats and monkeys that we encounter will also be vaccinated, but they are not our targets, because our main targets are dogs," he reiterated.

Since January 2014, 17 dogs have been found infected with rabies in seven districts in Bali, including six cases in Buleleng. Last year, there were 44 dogs infected with rabies particularly in Buleleng, Jembrana and Bangli.

Bali has firmly resolved to be rabies-free by the year 2015, in order to maintain its reputation as the world`s most famous resort island.

Over the past few years, the Bali authorities have routinely carried out mass vaccination programs against rabies, targeting stray as well as domestic dogs. (WDY)