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Mt Kulal Rabies Control 2012 vaccination campaign was organized  by our colleague and friend dr. Andrei Mihalca from  Vet. faculty in Cluj Napoca and the vaccination itself was carried on by his field team in January. We are gratefull for perfect work, short report follows:

Mt. Kulal Rabies Control

Annual Report 2012

For the sixth year of the Project, our team, in collaboration with Kenyan Authorities, VSF Germany, University of Nairobi, DVO Laisamis and with the helpful cooperation of eleven local helpers, operated another campaign of rabies preventive vaccination in Marsabit and Samburu districts.

The campaign was carried on a period of 30 days in January 2012. The team was directed by the Dr. Andrei Mihalca (Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Romania), and five Veterinary students from Romania. The animals vaccinated were dogs, cats and camels for a total number of 623 animals. All animals brought for vaccination were examined clinically, photographed for further identification, examined for the presence of ectoparasites and vaccinated.

Blood samples were taken and are under laboratory diagnosis process for epidemiological and research purposes. The 2012 campaign was carried out in 9 localities in Mt. Kulal, Mt. Nyiru and Lake Turkana regions. A number of 408 dogs, 39 cats and 176 camels were vaccinated against rabies; part of the dogs were re-vaccinated for the second, third or fourth time since the beginning of the project in 2006. The vaccine used was Rabisin (Merial).

vaccinated animals

Official marks were applied on vaccination cards in order to help local physicians to evaluate the risk of rabies in patients bitten by dogs. All owners of vaccinated dogs and cats received leaflets informing about the rabies in animals, and about the necessity of vaccination.

Public awareness was performed in schools of all the visited areas, involving hundreds of pupils.

Overall, we consider our campaign a successful one, and no unwanted incidents were reported. All communities were very cooperative and the involvement of local helpers and elders in this campaign ensured this success. Hence, we intend to keep running this project also in the following years with the great support of all partners above.

Cluj-Napoca 13-05-2012