The Gombe State government has targeted 50,000 dogs for immunisation against rabies to safeguard animal and public health.

The exercise is part of a comprehensive campaign to eradicate rabies by 2030.

Barnabas Malle, commissioner for agriculture, animal husbandry and cooperatives, stated this in Gombe on Thursday.

Rabies is a deadly virus spread to people from the saliva of an infected animal.

The virus is usually transmitted through a bite, with dogs being the primary source of transmission in humans.

It causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, leading to symptoms like fever, aggression, paralysis and hallucinations.

Vaccines protect against rabies viral transmission, while infection could be treated through immediate wound washing and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

Mr Malle said the state government had been carrying out annual mass vaccination to protect residents against the disease since dogs accounted for over 95 per cent of rabies transmission.

He said vaccinating dogs remained the most effective way of preventing the spread of rabies to humans.

The commissioner said Gombe has the highest rabies burden reported to the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Health, resulting into collaborative efforts to combat the disease in the state.

Mr Malle said that more than half of the dog population, representing about 25,000 dogs, were being vaccinated annually in the state.

He said the federal government had supplied 2,000 doses of the vaccines to facilitate smooth conduct of the ongoing exercise at veterinary clinics across the state.

“In Gombe State, there is a large population of dogs in places like Billiri, Kaltungo, Shongom, Dukku and Nafada, where hunters move with dogs. The ministry is working to ensure that all the dogs are vaccinated in the interest of the health of residents as part of an effort to end rabies.

“The state government procured large doses of the vaccine last year. And this year, more vaccines are expected to inoculate more than 25,000 dogs.

“So, with the current effort, by 2026, the exercise would cover almost all the targeted dogs with vaccination and then carry out proper surveillance,” he said.

According to Mr Malle, the ministry is sensitising dog owners and hunters to the dangers of rabies, as ending rabies is a shared responsibility.

He highlighted that global efforts were on to eradicate the disease by the year 2030.

The commissioner said the high cost of the rabies vaccine prompted the interventions by the federal government and development organisations.

“A single dose of such a vaccine costs N7,000, and rural dwellers could not afford it,” he said.

While urging dog owners to present their dogs for vaccination, Mr Malle said vaccinated dogs were vital toward preventing the spread of rabies to humans.

(NAN)