Date:Date: 27 Dec 2000
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Source: AP newswires (Spanish version) [edited]
The Ministry of Health exhausted its strychnine supply that is used to
eliminate street dogs in order to end an outbreak of rabies, according to
official reports. The Ministry press office indicated that it will now have
to strengthen a vaccination plan of vaccination with the support of animal
protection organizations.
An outbreak of rabies that cost the lives of 4 people in Quetzaltenango
(180 kilometers to the west of the capital) in October and November,
precipitated the Minister of Health, Mario Bolanos, to initiate a campaign
of extermination of dogs without owners.
Organizations, like the Protective Society of Animals and others, raised
their voices in protest, so that there would be an extension of antirabies
coverage [by vaccination], the Ministry suggested that the organizations
that are against the extermination of the dogs, thereby participate in the
vaccination.
"The Ministry will provide these organizations with syringes and rabies
vaccine, so that the vaccination coverage will be increased and will not
kill the dogs," said Lucia Dubon, spokeswoman of the Ministry to the AP
[reporter].
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Half the world away, we reached a similar conclusion concerning the
situation in East Flores, Indonesia - vaccination is preferable to
extermination of dogs. The idea of including all concerned parties in the
vaccination delivery is creative and I wonder how it will actually work out.
I would very much like to get updates. Please see references above for a
full discussion. - Mod.PC]
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