State vet vaccination drive to combat the spread of rabies

The municipality and the departments of ​eThekwini call on the communities of The Bluff and surrounding areas to get their pets (dogs and cats) vaccinated for free.

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The awareness campaign will run from March 4 to March 8. Free rabies vaccinations will be done in Merebank on March 4 at the sports field in Dhubri Road from 09:00 to 10:30. On the same day, between 11:00 and 12:00, the team will be at the parking lot at Calicut Place and thereafter move to the library parking lot in Dharwar Road from 12:30 to 13:30.

On March 5, the team will be stationed in Merebank at the open space in Punjab Circle from 09:00 to 10:30 and at the sports field in Burdwan Road from 11:00 to 12:00.

March 6 will see the team at Austerville Park behind the Family Health Clinic from 09:00 to 10:30. On the same day, the team will be at the park on Woraad Road, off Austerville Drive from 11:00 to 12:00 and thereafter at the parking lot in Silvertree Road from 12:30 to 13:30.

On March 7, the team will be in the Ansteys Beach parking area near the green dolphin from 09:00 to 10:30. Thereafter, they will move to the park opposite Sanlam Centre in Tara Road, Bluff, from 11:00 to 12:00 and in Grosvenor at the park in St Patricks Road from 12:30 to 13:30.

Lastly, on March 8, the team will be stationed in Fynnlands at the playlot in Island View Road from 11:00 to 12:00. Dog owners in the nearby communities are urged to bring their pets.

Flyers will be distributed to create awareness in the community about rabies disease and its management.

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Pet owners are urged to bring their animal’s certificate from the previous vaccinations. If they do not have one, a certificate will be issued on the day.

The campaign aims to curb the spread of rabies and to improve rabies knowledge among communities.

In the City, rabies is prevalent, with the south sub-district being mostly affected. This is followed by the west sub-district and north sub-district.

According to the municipality, domestic dogs are the most common reservoir of the virus, with more than 99% of human deaths related to rabies being caused by dog-mediated rabies.