The Implementation of Preventive Vaccination of Dogs and Cats against Rabies in Rural Areas

Witold Kollataj,Katarzyna Sygit,Barbara Kollataj,Andrzej Milczak,Marian Sygit

doi:10.5539/ep.v1n1p20

Abstract

Rabies is a fatal viral infection that has no specific treatment. For that reason prevention, especially vaccinations against rabies, is the matter of the utmost importance. The study involved 176 dog owners (possessing 257 dogs) and 86 cat owners (possessing 182 cats) from rural areas in Lublin province. The special original inquiry questionnaire was applied. Results: Preventive vaccination of dogs against rabies is properly realized by only 64.8 ± 7 % dog owners (below the level recommended by WHO) and by only 19.8 ± 9.1 % of cat owners - inhabitants of rural areas in Lublin Province. 16.5 % of respondents confessed that they have never vaccinated their dogs against rabies. 48.3 ± 7.4 % of dog owners as well as 65.1 ± 10.1 % of cat owners don't have any veterinary health certificates for their animals. Conclusions: The standards of veterinary care as well as effectiveness of dogs and cats vaccinations against rabies in rural areas in Poland need to be improved.

Highlights

Rabies is a fatal viral infection, usually acquired in humans from the bite of infected carnivores
Preventive vaccination of dogs against rabies is properly realized by only 64.8 ± 7 % dog owners and by only 19.8 ± 9.1 % of cat owners - inhabitants of rural areas in Lublin
Province. 16.5 % of respondents confessed that they have never vaccinated their dogs against rabies. 48.3 ± 7.4 % of dog owners as well as 65.1 ± 10.1 % of cat owners don’t have any veterinary health certificates for their animals

Summary

Introduction

Rabies is a fatal viral infection, usually acquired in humans from the bite of infected carnivores (meat-eating animals). The virus can be spread by getting the virus-laden saliva in an open wound, splashed in an eye, or other mucous membrane, such as the mouth. A rare method of transmission is via aerosol (this can happen in a cave housing infected bats that aerosolize saliva during giving out high-pitched sounds). The dangers to human pose ill animals and carriers of asymptomatic rabies (Fekadu, 1991, pp.191198). More than 55 000 people die of rabies every year. More than 15 million people worldwide receive a post-exposure preventive regimen to avert the disease (WHO, 2010). In Poland, the last case of rabies infection in humans was reported in 2002

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