Dog population Management and its Major Constraints in Eritrea - FAO
DOG POPULATION MANAGEMENT AND ITS MAJOR CHALLENGES IN ERITREA SOURCE
http://www.fao.org/…/1_Dog_Population_Management_Eritrea_Gh….
AN OVERVIEW
Michael Kahsay Ghebremariam
Department of Veterinary Sciences, Hamelmalo Agricultural College, Hamelmalo, Eritrea
INTRODUCTION
Eritrea is located in the North-Eastern part of Africa. It shares borders with Sudan to the North and West, Ethiopia to the South, Djibouti to its South-Eastern extreme and faces the Red Sea to the East.
The current estimate of dog population in Eritrea may be as high as 50 000 to 60 000. However, no survey of dog population has been conducted to date. The dog population is highest in major cities. The dog population in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, is estimated at roughly 15 000 – 18 000. Dogs are usually kept as guards for livestock in the rural areas, and a small number are kept as guards and pets in the major towns (Sharma and Adlakha, 2001)6). Stray and unvaccinated dogs are considered the main vectors of rabies in Eritrea. So far, there is no evidence of rabies in wildlife (e.g., jackals) in Eritrea, compared to other African countries, where they act as wild reservoir hosts. However the presence of honey badgers (Mellivora capensis), jackals and foxes in the vicinities of towns might require a study on rabies in wildlife. Rabies is one of the important zoonotic diseases in the country. The combination of numerous stray dogs in urban centers and a large non-vaccinated dog population in the rural areas is viewed as having facilitated the maintenance and spread of the rabies virus (Sharma and Adlakha, 2001)6).
Rabies is an ubiquitous disease that occurs almost allover the world. It is one of the classical diseases known to mankind. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romance illustrated the existence of rabies through drawings and sketches of mad dogs. The disease is important in dogs, cats, bats and wild mammals (Meslin et al., 1996)15). Transmission is almost always by introduction of virus-laden saliva into the tissues, normally through the bite of a rabid animal (Wunner, 1991)12). It has also been indicated that the virus can be transmitted through airborne route (Johnson, et al., 2006). Rabies is considered the 11th cause of human death among infectious diseases, as reviewed by Pedro, et al., (2006). Urban rabies especially has become the number one zoonosis. It is maintained and spread by the dog population, although diseased domestic animals can transmit it (McCurnin, 1998)1).
THE CHALLENGES
There is no valid estimate of the total dog population in Eritrea. Unwillingness and carelessness of dog owners to vaccinate their dogs is another major problem in rabies control. The number of stray dogs keeps increasing with time. The major causes for the increase in the number of stray dog population in major urban areas are postulated as the following:
availability of leftover foods, offal, etc, from restaurants, hospitals, slaughterhouses, food processing plants, etc.
the practice of backyard slaughter of animals without proper disposal of the offal and inedible parts of the carcass,
improper disposal of garbage (easily scavenged by dogs),
compassion of kids for dogs, tendency to feed and make food available to stray dogs,
improper disposal of dead animals, in most cases, horses ,
the high survival skills, strength, wild and aggressive behavior of stray dogs make the control difficult,
absence of coordinated communication to raise rabies awareness among the population,
absence of safe, humane and effective ways of catching and restraining of dogs,
not all owned dogs are registered and vaccinated.
CONCLUSION
The absence of a valid estimate of the dog population is becoming a major cause of low distribution, coverage and delay in the vaccination program. The government vaccinates owned dogs every year and eliminates stray dogs through killing. However, not all dog owners are willing to vaccinate their dogs. Moreover, the elimination of stray dogs through killing does not seem to be effective as the space (territory) is immediately taken over by dogs coming from other areas, giving them more space and food to survive and reproduce drastically and thus repopulating the area in a very short amount of time.
Children’s lack of awareness is another serious problem for controlling dog population in the country. There is some awareness of the community about the potential danger of rabies from unvaccinated dogs. However, they are totally unaware of many more dangerous diseases stray dogs might carry, be they parasitic, bacterial or viral with zoonotic characteristics.
There is no effective, safe and humane method of catching and restraining of stray dogs in the country. Moreover, catching stray dogs is difficult because of their aggressive behavior.
THE WAY FORWARD
The main objective of rabies control is to protect human health and prevent economic losses. To have a sustainable stray dog population and rabies control, an integrated approach is required. These might include vaccination, stray dog population control through humane means (breeding control), efficient reporting, reliable diagnostic system, and public awareness. Proper disposal of dead animals, organs/or carcasses, and garbage is essential. Backyard slaughter of animals has to be controlled. The phenomenon of rabies has to be included in children’s formal education. The Ministry of Agriculture, the Veterinary Services, the Ministry of Health, Hamelmalo Agricultural College, have to be able to provide different information materials aimed at children and the public at large. These awareness-building materials regarding rabies and other dog diseases could be in the form of posters, leaflets, etc. The role of news papers, radio and television is very significant in this regard. To achieve the aforementioned goals, a dog population survey should be given priority. The survey might include data on dog numbers, location, sex, age, registration and vaccination status etc.
It is acknowledged that adequate funding, trained manpower, and infrastructure will be required for the program to succeed.
REFERENCES
Johnson N, Phillpotts R, Fooks AR. 2006. Airborne transmission of lyssa viruses. J. Medical Microbiology, (6): 785-90
Meslin F.-X., Kaplan M.M., Koprowski H.1996. Laboratory Techniques in Rabies, 4th edition, W.H.O., Geneva.
McCurnin, M.Dennis.1998. Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians, U.S.A., 4th edition. W.B. Samders Company. Pp 144,747.
Pedro Carniel Junior, Armando Moraes Ventura, and Edison Luiz Durigon. 2006. Digoxigenin-labeled probe for rabies virus nucleoprotein gene detection. Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 39(2):159-162.
Sharma, S.N. and Adlakha, S.C. 2001.Textbook of Veterinary Virology. New Delhi. Vikas publishing house pvt ltd. Pp313-318.
Wunner W.H. 1991. The chemical composition and molecular structure of rabies viruses. In: G. M. Baer (Ed.). The Natural History of Rabies. (pp. 31-67). Boca Raton, FL:CRCPress.
AN OVERVIEW
Michael Kahsay Ghebremariam
Department of Veterinary Sciences, Hamelmalo Agricultural College, Hamelmalo, Eritrea
INTRODUCTION
Eritrea is located in the North-Eastern part of Africa. It shares borders with Sudan to the North and West, Ethiopia to the South, Djibouti to its South-Eastern extreme and faces the Red Sea to the East.
The current estimate of dog population in Eritrea may be as high as 50 000 to 60 000. However, no survey of dog population has been conducted to date. The dog population is highest in major cities. The dog population in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, is estimated at roughly 15 000 – 18 000. Dogs are usually kept as guards for livestock in the rural areas, and a small number are kept as guards and pets in the major towns (Sharma and Adlakha, 2001)6). Stray and unvaccinated dogs are considered the main vectors of rabies in Eritrea. So far, there is no evidence of rabies in wildlife (e.g., jackals) in Eritrea, compared to other African countries, where they act as wild reservoir hosts. However the presence of honey badgers (Mellivora capensis), jackals and foxes in the vicinities of towns might require a study on rabies in wildlife. Rabies is one of the important zoonotic diseases in the country. The combination of numerous stray dogs in urban centers and a large non-vaccinated dog population in the rural areas is viewed as having facilitated the maintenance and spread of the rabies virus (Sharma and Adlakha, 2001)6).
Rabies is an ubiquitous disease that occurs almost allover the world. It is one of the classical diseases known to mankind. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romance illustrated the existence of rabies through drawings and sketches of mad dogs. The disease is important in dogs, cats, bats and wild mammals (Meslin et al., 1996)15). Transmission is almost always by introduction of virus-laden saliva into the tissues, normally through the bite of a rabid animal (Wunner, 1991)12). It has also been indicated that the virus can be transmitted through airborne route (Johnson, et al., 2006). Rabies is considered the 11th cause of human death among infectious diseases, as reviewed by Pedro, et al., (2006). Urban rabies especially has become the number one zoonosis. It is maintained and spread by the dog population, although diseased domestic animals can transmit it (McCurnin, 1998)1).
THE CHALLENGES
There is no valid estimate of the total dog population in Eritrea. Unwillingness and carelessness of dog owners to vaccinate their dogs is another major problem in rabies control. The number of stray dogs keeps increasing with time. The major causes for the increase in the number of stray dog population in major urban areas are postulated as the following:
availability of leftover foods, offal, etc, from restaurants, hospitals, slaughterhouses, food processing plants, etc.
the practice of backyard slaughter of animals without proper disposal of the offal and inedible parts of the carcass,
improper disposal of garbage (easily scavenged by dogs),
compassion of kids for dogs, tendency to feed and make food available to stray dogs,
improper disposal of dead animals, in most cases, horses ,
the high survival skills, strength, wild and aggressive behavior of stray dogs make the control difficult,
absence of coordinated communication to raise rabies awareness among the population,
absence of safe, humane and effective ways of catching and restraining of dogs,
not all owned dogs are registered and vaccinated.
CONCLUSION
The absence of a valid estimate of the dog population is becoming a major cause of low distribution, coverage and delay in the vaccination program. The government vaccinates owned dogs every year and eliminates stray dogs through killing. However, not all dog owners are willing to vaccinate their dogs. Moreover, the elimination of stray dogs through killing does not seem to be effective as the space (territory) is immediately taken over by dogs coming from other areas, giving them more space and food to survive and reproduce drastically and thus repopulating the area in a very short amount of time.
Children’s lack of awareness is another serious problem for controlling dog population in the country. There is some awareness of the community about the potential danger of rabies from unvaccinated dogs. However, they are totally unaware of many more dangerous diseases stray dogs might carry, be they parasitic, bacterial or viral with zoonotic characteristics.
There is no effective, safe and humane method of catching and restraining of stray dogs in the country. Moreover, catching stray dogs is difficult because of their aggressive behavior.
THE WAY FORWARD
The main objective of rabies control is to protect human health and prevent economic losses. To have a sustainable stray dog population and rabies control, an integrated approach is required. These might include vaccination, stray dog population control through humane means (breeding control), efficient reporting, reliable diagnostic system, and public awareness. Proper disposal of dead animals, organs/or carcasses, and garbage is essential. Backyard slaughter of animals has to be controlled. The phenomenon of rabies has to be included in children’s formal education. The Ministry of Agriculture, the Veterinary Services, the Ministry of Health, Hamelmalo Agricultural College, have to be able to provide different information materials aimed at children and the public at large. These awareness-building materials regarding rabies and other dog diseases could be in the form of posters, leaflets, etc. The role of news papers, radio and television is very significant in this regard. To achieve the aforementioned goals, a dog population survey should be given priority. The survey might include data on dog numbers, location, sex, age, registration and vaccination status etc.
It is acknowledged that adequate funding, trained manpower, and infrastructure will be required for the program to succeed.
REFERENCES
Johnson N, Phillpotts R, Fooks AR. 2006. Airborne transmission of lyssa viruses. J. Medical Microbiology, (6): 785-90
Meslin F.-X., Kaplan M.M., Koprowski H.1996. Laboratory Techniques in Rabies, 4th edition, W.H.O., Geneva.
McCurnin, M.Dennis.1998. Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians, U.S.A., 4th edition. W.B. Samders Company. Pp 144,747.
Pedro Carniel Junior, Armando Moraes Ventura, and Edison Luiz Durigon. 2006. Digoxigenin-labeled probe for rabies virus nucleoprotein gene detection. Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 39(2):159-162.
Sharma, S.N. and Adlakha, S.C. 2001.Textbook of Veterinary Virology. New Delhi. Vikas publishing house pvt ltd. Pp313-318.
Wunner W.H. 1991. The chemical composition and molecular structure of rabies viruses. In: G. M. Baer (Ed.). The Natural History of Rabies. (pp. 31-67). Boca Raton, FL:CRCPress.
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