The Food and Veterinary Service has started vaccination of forest animals against rabies.
The Food and Veterinary Service (PVD) has started vaccination of foxes and raccoon dogs against rabies.
Vaccination will be used in the “Lusvulpen” vaccine containing the strain OF the weakened rabies virus SAD BERN mSv Bio 10 and is incorporated inside the fish meal, fat and paraffin mixture. Vaccine baits using small aviation aeroplanes are located in the eastern border.
The vaccine is not dangerous to either human or the environment, but if the person is in direct contact with the vaccine (on the inside of the bait, it is liquid), it must come into contact with the doctor. THE PVD calls on adults to inform children about vaccines and to ask them not to do so.
The vaccine looks like a brownish cube, slightly smaller than a box of matches. The vaccine is not intended for dogs and cats, but the animal's health will not be endangered when it is eaten.
Rabies is a dangerous, untreated animal and human health and a life-threatening infectious disease. The rabies reservoir in nature is wild animals, mainly foxes and raccoon dogs. Domestic animals, the most commonly vaccinated dogs and cats, are infected with rabies after contact with sick wild animals. The only effective prevention measure for rabies is the timely vaccination of animals against rabies.
THE FVD has been approved by the anti-rabies programme and co-financed by the European Commission.
Due to the systematic vaccination of wild animals, which has been performed regularly in spring and autumn since 2005, rabies in Latvia have been eradicated - the last occurrence of rabies in forest animals was detected in 2010, while domestic (room) animals were in 2012. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has officially recognised Latvia as a non-rabies country.
Although no case of rabies has been detected in Latvia in recent years, in view of the spread of rabies in neighbouring countries, PVD calls for regular vaccination of domestic animals against rabies, as well as reports to the veterinarian or PVD for each case of rabies suspicion.
Food and Veterinary Service