Rabies breaks out in Lusaka

RABIES has broken out in Lusaka’s Mtendere Township, the Lusaka City Council (LCC) has said.
The municipality has warned that it will start killing unregistered dogs in townships.
LCC assistant public relations manager Brenda Katongola said in a statement yesterday that one dog in Mtendere’s section D died on Monday at the Lusaka Animal Welfare shelter.
Ms Katongola said when the specimens were sent to the Veterinary laboratory at the University of Zambia (UNZA), the results confirmed that it was rabid.
Ms Katongola said another case was recorded at Chifwema Road off Leopard’s Lane and the dog was “put down” using euthanol on August 31, 2015.
She said results from the Veterinary laboratory at UNZA confirmed that the dog died of rabies.
Ms Katongola appealed to dog owners and members of the public to ensure that they have their dogs vaccinated against rabies.
She said dog owners should have their dogs confined or safely secured within their yards and that they should have their dogs registered with the local authority in accordance with the Control of Dogs Act Cap 247 of the Laws of Zambia, failure to which their dogs will be shot dead and the owners prosecuted.
“The Lusaka City Council has time and again appealed to members of the public to have their dogs registered with the council. Dog owners have also been asked to secure their dogs and to have their dogs vaccinated against rabies. Failure to comply with these requirements will lead to the putting down of the dogs and owners prosecuted in accordance with the Control of Dogs Act 247 of the Laws of Zambia,” Ms Katongola said.

Zambia Daily Mail