Sucre Reports 38th Case of Canine Rabies, Launches Targeted Vaccination Campaign
Sucre, Bolivia – Health officials in Sucre have confirmed teh 38th case of canine rabies this year, prompting an immediate focus control effort and the announcement of zoned vaccination campaigns. The infected animal, a three-year-old Creole puppy, was abandoned by its owner who emigrated from the country, leaving the pet unvaccinated.The puppy afterward attacked three individuals who are now receiving prophylactic treatment and are under monitoring by the Departmental Health Service (sedes) Chuquisaca.
The case underscores a persistent problem: officials report that 98% of rabies cases in the municipality are linked to pet owners failing to fulfill their vaccination obligations. “Once again it is demonstrated that 98% of cases is due to breach of the owners in the obligation thay have to vaccinate their pets, as in this case, that the owner abandoned the puppy,” lamented Aldo Calle, the municipal secretary of Health of Sucre. Rabies is a fatal disease, and its spread through unvaccinated animals poses a meaningful public health risk.
In response, the Municipal Health Secretariat, through its zoonosis programme, will conduct targeted anti-rabic vaccination campaigns in coordination with district councils. These campaigns will prioritize areas with the highest number of positive cases, locations where new cases are identified, and neighborhoods requesting vaccination drives.
“We will start the anti-rabic vaccination campaign in those areas with the greatest number of positive cases, in the places where we identify these cases of rage or when a neighborhood board requires and summons its neighbors to make a vaccination,” Calle stated. Residents are urged to ensure their pets are vaccinated to prevent further spread of the disease.
