Head of the Livestock and Animal Health Service of West Papua Province Hendrikus Faten stated in Manokwari on Monday that the agency has prepared one thousand doses of the rabies vaccine to inoculate animals to prevent rabies transmission in seven districts in West Papua.
In addition to vaccinating animals, the Livestock and Animal Health Service of West Papua Province also tightens the supervision of animal shipment traffic to minimize the risk of rabies transmission.
Faten remarked that the animals sent from or to other areas should have received rabies vaccination and be accompanied by animal quarantine documents, including an animal health certificate.
He revealed that West Papua does not accept shipments of animals from rabies transmission areas, such as East Nusa Tenggara and Bali.
Faten explained that animal shipments have been regulated in Minister of Agriculture Regulation Number 17 of 2023 concerning Procedures for Monitoring the Traffic of Animals, Animal Products, and Media Carriers of Other Animal Diseases within the Territory of the Republic of Indonesia.
"The regional government provides guidance to all distributors, so that they obey the rules," he remarked.
Faten also stated that the number of veterinarians in West Papua Province is still small, with only one person in Manokwari, two in Fakfak, one in Kaimana, and one in Teluk Bintuni.
Meanwhile, there is no veterinarian in South Manokwari District, Arfak Mountain, and Teluk Wondama.
"For those who do not have a veterinarian, the regional head can appoint an official from the veterinary authority, who is competent in the field of animal health," Faten stated.
Rabies is a zoonosis, or a disease transmitted to humans by animals. The disease caused by infection with the rabies virus can be transmitted through bites, licks, or scratches of animals, such as dogs, cats, and monkeys.
In order to prevent the transmission of rabies, or mad dog disease, routine vaccinations should be conducted for pets that can transmit the rabies virus.
Rabies vaccination is also needed for people at risk of contracting the rabies virus. In this case, the vaccination can be conducted before or after exposure to the virus.
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Translator: Fransiskus Salu Weking, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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