KUCHING: Members of the public are advised not to touch unfamiliar bait-like objects placed in parts of Kuching this April as oral rabies vaccines are deployed to protect free-roaming dogs.
In a video posted on its Facebook page, Datin Dona Drury-Wee, President of the Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA), said the oral rabies vaccine (ORV) is embedded inside specially prepared egg-based bait designed for dogs that cannot be safely captured.
She explained that when the bait is chewed, the liquid vaccine inside a sachet is absorbed orally, helping build immunity against rabies among free-roaming dogs.
According to her, trials conducted last year produced encouraging results, demonstrating the method as a safe and effective supplementary approach to increasing vaccination coverage.
She also reminded the public not to handle the bait if encountered and to ensure children do not disturb it, as each placement is monitored by trained personnel under controlled programmes.
Dona added that SSPCA teams would be conducting house-to-house visits to gather information on the number of cats and dogs kept by households to support improved planning and policymaking for rabies prevention efforts.
The ORV is not available for purchase and is not intended for pets at home or for cats.
