Romy Weinborn Academic at the School of Veterinary Medicine University of Las Américas
Our neighboring countries have reported new cases of human rabies due to the canine variant, among which unfortunately the death of a person who was bitten by a positive dog in Arequipa, Peru was recorded. It is for this reason that in Chile, municipalities and owners must always be concerned about keeping pets up to date with this vaccine.
The last human rabies case in Chile was in 2013 in Quilpué and the reason for the improvement of the affected person was due to the fact that the variant was not canine, but rather a bat.
Since 2010, our country declared itself free of rabies due to canine variants, which pose a greater risk to human health, since it is 100% lethal. So the question is: what is the problem? The answer is given, since in Chile we have the variants of the bat in mind, these being impossible to eradicate, since the most prevalent bat, the Tadarida Brasiliensis, is a species protected by law and very beneficial for the ecosystem, because it is pollinator and pest controller for agriculture. It is important to inform that this animal could have a very low percentage of this disease and the one that is at risk is the one that is found during the day, because it is a nocturnal species, so any specimen with abnormal behavior should not be touched and it is appropriate to inform the health services, zoonosis offices, Livestock Agricultural Service (SAG) or municipalities.
In the 2014 Decree “Approves regulations for the prevention and control of rabies in humans and animals”, a variation in the vaccination schedule for dogs and cats is established, changing from 6 months as the initial age of anti-rabies vaccination to 2 months and must be reinforced at one year of age of the pet, subsequently revaccinated as established by the laboratory producing the vaccine used, which is why the veterinarian, the only professional trained for this, must issue a certificate in accordance with what the law establishes, clearly stipulating the date of revaccination. If the pet comes into contact with a positive bat or is geographically within the closest focus of detected cases, it must display this certificate.
It is best to know the disease and take the necessary preventive measures to avoid serious consequences.
2023-11-02 02:05:59
#Rabies #pet #vaccinations
