Dogs to be given contraceptives to reduce rabies infection

The Veterinary Services Department is working at stopping stray dogs from giving birth as a means to fight the spread of rabies.

According to the service, stray dogs are a major cause of rabies infection and reducing their numbers will boost the fight against the disease. As Ghana joins the world to mark the World Rabies Day today, the service has revealed plans to give stray dogs contraceptives.

Ghana recorded 55 deaths through the rabies virus last years as against 34 in 2015. So far 500 cases have been recorded with 10 deaths. Veterinary experts say the figures show that the infection is on the ascendency.

In 2010 the dog population was 1miliion. By 2017, the number has risen to 1.3million. A dog however can have 12 babies at a go. Which the service claim is where the problem lies. Though the number of private individuals taking their dogs for vaccination is said to have increased, the service is still battling with containing the disease in the country.

Head of Public Health Veterinary Services, Dr. Bashiru Kikimoto explained that the high fertility is largely responsible for increase in the infection. “They carry the disease more because they move from place to place so we are considering the use of DOG contraceptives for them.

These are injectable tablets which they can be baited in bread so that when they take, they cannot reproduce and multiply in their numbers like they do”.