20 000 pets vaccinated against rabies in Blantyre

At least 19  679 pets have been vaccinated against rabies in Blantyre rural and urban during a campaign that ran from October 24 to 31 and November 13 to 15 in the two  respective areas.

Blantyre District Agriculture Office conducted the campaign in conjunction with Blantyre District Council and Blantyre City Council.

Blantyre district animal health and livestock development officer Chapendeka Mittawa said in an interview on Saturday the campaign targeted the pets left out during the national one month period campaign from September.

“Rabies is a killer disease and is mostly spread through bites by dogs and cats; hence, the rolling out of the campaign.

“The vaccination was given to the pets free of charge during the campaign and stray and unvaccinated dogs were shot during this period,” said Mittawa.

He said 71 centres in Blantyre Rural in traditional authorities Kunthembwe, Kuntaja, Machinjiri, Makata, Kapeni and Somba were covered during the campaign.