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No need for Rabies panic if you are not from Perseverance and Despatch

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The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s Dog Control Unit is currently inundated with phone calls from residents who want their beloved pets vaccinated after a positive case of Rabies was identified in the Perseverance and Despatch areas.

We would like to request residents who do not live in Despatch and Perseverance not to panic as their animals are not threatened at this stage.

However, if you are from any other area and would like to get your animal’s vaccinations up to date, you are welcome to make use of the service of a private veterinarian.

Hundreds of calls were received since the first call for vaccinations was issued by the municipality and as a result we had to place one of our Inspectors in the centre to help man the telephones.

Rabies was suspected after a meerkat acted out of character and bit a dog during a fight almost two weeks ago. After the meerkat was killed, the animal was tested at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute of the University of Pretoria and the dog was placed in isolation in an attempt to curb the disease from spreading.

Rabies is a viral disease that causes inflammation of the brain in warm-blooded animals and it is transmitted by animals most commonly by a bite from the carrier.

After the Onderstepoort results came back positive last Friday, the Dog Control Unit worked feverously to vaccinate as many cats and dogs as possible to contain the spread of the disease.

Another effective precautionary measure is to wash a wound thoroughly with cold water and soap shortly after a bite.

A mobile unit is currently busy in the Despatch area.

Residents from Despatch and Perseverance can call the municipality’s Dog Control Unit at 041 506 1743 to find out where the mobile unit is. Kindly be reminded that no house calls can be attended to but we will gladly assist at the mobile unit.

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NMB Communications

Media Communications at Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
The Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality Communications Department is responsible for communicating pertinent Municipal news from Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage and Despatch. Municipality Contact Details. See more articles by NMB Communication's.