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Charity seeks Mumbai vaccination drive volunteers
Previous vaccination drives have vaccinated thousands of dogs.
Project will vaccinate stray dogs against rabies.

The charity Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) is asking for volunteers to help it deliver a five-day dog vaccination campaign in the Mumbai region of India in February 2024.

Part of the Mission Rabies project, the campaign will see stray days vaccinated against rabies throughout the city and surrounding neighbourhoods.

Around 20,000 people die from rabies in India each year – a third of the global total. The World Health Organisation estimates that up to 60 per cent of those who die in India are children under 15 years old. Most cases are caused by infected dog bites.

The vaccination drive is part of a national plan to end human rabies deaths in India by 2030.

Mission Rabies has previously had success in the Indian state of Goa, where a long-term dog vaccination effort has helped control the disease. There have been no human rabies deaths in the state since 2018.

Dr Luke Gamble, founder and chief executive of WVS, said: "In a world where rabies still tragically claims tens of thousands of lives every year, mostly in children, we have the power to prevent this.

“Nearly all human rabies cases stem from infected dog bites, a stark reality that drives our relentless pursuit to combat this disease at its very root. Our groundbreaking work in Goa has not only shown that it's possible to eliminate canine rabies but also to safeguard human lives from this entirely preventable yet devastating disease.

“The Mumbai initiative marks a pivotal moment in our journey, an ambitious step towards a rabies-free future in India.”

Details about how to volunteer can be found on the Mission Rabies website.

Image © Mission Rabies

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Antibiotic Amnesty survey opens

News Story 1
 The Responsible Use of Medicines Alliance - Companion Animal and Equine (RUMA - CA&E) has launched a survey which seeks to measure the success of this year's Antibiotic Amnesty campaign.

Its results will help the group to calculate how many unused or out-of-date antibiotics were returned as part of the campaign throughout November. Practices are also asked how they engaged with clients to raise awareness of the issue.

Participating practices can enter a prize draw to win up to 100 in vouchers for taking part. Further prizes from BSAVA and Webinar Vet will be available for practices with the best input.

The survey takes a few minutes to complete and will be running throughout December. It can be accessed via this link

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue cases lead to restricted zone extension

Following the detection of new cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3), the restricted zone has been extended to include additional parts of Hampshire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and North Yorkshire, as well as Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and part of Dorset.

The zone now covers 28 counties and unitary authorities in England. As of 16 December, 185 cases of BTV-3 have been confirmed in England and Wales during the current vector period.

Bluetongue is a notifiable disease. Suspected cases must be reported on 03000 200 301 in England or 03003 038 268 in Wales. In Scotland, suspected cases should be reported to the local field services office. Suspected cases in Northern Ireland should be reported to the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or by contacting the local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.

A map of the area where movement restrictions apply can be found here.