The Ministry of Health of the Government of the State of Colima warned that there is natural circulation of the rabies virus in wild animals, which maintains the possibility of transmission to the human population with which they live, as has occurred in some cases reported this year in Mexico.
As announced in a press release, the Rabies and Other Zoonoses Subdirectorate of the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control (Cenaprece) indicated that it is important to address rabies outbreaks in order to control the transmission of rabies in dogs and cats through rabies vaccination of these pets.
The state agency reported that information from Cenaprece indicates that cases of rabies in dogs have shown a significant decrease in the country, as a result of the National Rabies Vaccination Reinforcement Campaigns for Canine and Feline Animals.
Thus, canine rabies cases in Mexico fell from 244 in 2000 to just 12 in 2012. Since 2013, the decline has been steady, with a total of 38 cases between 2013 and 2024, of which 26 were wild variants of the virus (68%).
It notes that the animals that transmit rabies in urban areas are dogs and cats, while in wild areas, bats, coyotes, skunks, raccoons, and badgers, among others, are the most common.
The state Health Secretariat recommended avoiding contact with wild animals and not taking any wild animal control measures on one’s own, as well as avoiding keeping wild animals as pets. It also recommended washing animal bites or scratches immediately with soap and water, and also seeking medical attention at the nearest health center or hospital.
Likewise, he suggested taking your pet to the vet regularly and keeping their rabies vaccinations up to date for dogs and cats.
He announced that the National Rabies Vaccination Campaign for Dogs and Cats will be held this September in the state of Colima, to provide protection against the virus in these species. The vaccination campaign is valid for one year.
Source: elcomentario
