Animals kept indoors should be vaccinated regularly, says doctor

Tribune News Service

Mohali, July 6

A district-level function was held at Primary Health Centre, Boothgarh, to create awareness about zoonotic disease, which can be transmitted from animals to human beings, to mark World Zoonosis Day.

Civil Surgeon Dr Adarshpal Kaur said World Zoonosis Day was held every year to commemorate the first vaccination against rabies, a zoonotic disease, which was successfully administered by Louis Pasteur, a French biologist, on July 6, 1885. The day is also marked to raise awareness about the risk of zoonotic diseases such as Covid-19, bird flu, Ebola, Avian influenza and West Nile virus.

Addressing the gathering, Senior Medical Officer Dr Jaskirandeep Kaur said: “Animals play a significant part in spreading zoonotic diseases as 75 per cent of new or emerging diseases originate from them. The transmission can occur when there is a contact with animals, consumption of meat or using animal products. The disease can jump from pets, farm animals reared for meat or from hunting, butchering and consuming wild game”.

She said rabies had been a deadly disease since time immemorial. When the cure for rabies was developed, it was a great achievement for the humanity. Covid-19 virus was currently a serious crisis in the world and it is believed that the virus had entered the human population from animals.

District Epidemiologist Dr Vikran Nagra said several people keep pets at home, especially dogs and cats, and often pamper them, but caution was needed when doing so. Animals kept indoors should also be regularly inspected and vaccinated as failure to do so could lead to spread of dangerous diseases. He said zoonotic diseases could be transmitted through air, water or food. Caution was needed when dealing with pets, since proximity to animals could be dangerous.

Dr Harman Mahal, Dr Kuldeep Singh, Dr Baltej, Dr Kaljotveer Singh, Dr Vikas, Dr Arun Bansal, Dr Subin, Dr Simon Kaur, Health Inspector Gurtej Singh, Swaran Singh, Bhupinder Singh, Baljit Singh and Asha workers were present.

World Zoonosis Day

Civil Surgeon Dr Adarshpal Kaur said World Zoonosis Day was held every year to commemorate the first vaccination against rabies, a zoonotic disease, which was successfully administered by Louis Pasteur, a French biologist, on July 6, 1885. The day is also marked to raise awareness about the risk of zoonotic diseases such as Covid-19, bird flu, Ebola, Avian influenza and West Nile virus.

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