Bangkok – The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has declared 27 provinces temporary quarantine zones for rabies.
Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister, Grisada Boonrach has announced that six people have succumbed to the rabies virus since the outbreak began. Only 27 provinces remain red zones. More than 3 million cats and dogs nationwide have been vaccinated since October last year. Around 3.6 million more animals are expected to receive vaccinations by May.
To keep their populations under control, approximately 137,000 of them have been neutered and spayed, and more are expected to undergo the same procedure.
Nearly 30,000 people have joined an anti-rabies program where they were trained to detect rabies infections and administer vaccines to animals.
Seven million cats and dogs have also been registered to prevent them from being abandoned by their owners.
Meanwhile, a committee set up to investigate claims of irregularities in rabies vaccine purchases will examine the authenticity of the vaccines and the distribution process in order to seek proof of fraudulent practices.
