Protect your pet and your family against rabies!
ORANJESTAD — World Rabies Day is commemorated every year on September 28. The main goal of this day is to raise awareness about rabies prevention and highlight the progress being made in the fight against this fatal disease.
The date of September 28 was deliberately chosen to commemorate the death of Louis Pasteur, the French chemist and microbiologist who developed the first effective rabies vaccine.
Today, in observance of World Rabies Day, the Department of Public Health (DVG) would like to remind the community of the importance of being a responsible pet owner and protecting our pets against this deadly virus.
This also aligns closely with the new policy that the government — through the Ministry of Public Health, Elderly Care, and Addiction — together with the DVG, will soon implement for the welfare of animals and the safety of the entire community.
Rabies is a serious viral disease that affects the central nervous system and can be transmitted from animals to humans, usually through a bite or scratch.
Therefore, it is essential that you watch for warning signs in dogs:
- Drastic behavioral change: A calm dog can suddenly become very aggressive, or an affectionate animal may isolate itself.
- Excessive drooling: Heavy salivation and difficulty swallowing food or water.
- Disorientation and paralysis: Difficulty walking, muscle weakness, or seizures.
- Extreme sensitivity: An oversensitive or aggressive reaction to light, sound, or touch.
The only effective prevention: vaccination
Vaccinating your dog on time is the only effective way to prevent this disease. An unvaccinated dog that becomes infected poses a serious danger to your family and the entire community.
Taking good care of your pet also means taking good care of yourself and your loved ones. Let us all make sure our pets are vaccinated!
