Gyeonggi-do to Administer Rabies Vaccinations Until the End of May

Gyeonggi Provincial Government Gwanggyo New Office Building

원본보기 아이콘

Gyeonggi Province will conduct a mass rabies vaccination campaign until the end of next month.

Rabies is a zoonotic disease transmitted from infected animals to animals or humans, showing symptoms such as excitement, paralysis, and drooling upon onset, and it is a disease with a very high fatality rate.

Since 1993, 277 cases of rabies have occurred in Gyeonggi Province, not only in rural areas such as Paju and Yeoncheon but also in urban areas like Suwon and Goyang, involving dogs, cattle, cats, and raccoons.

Although no domestic rabies cases have been reported since 2013, prevention is paramount due to the high fatality rate if the disease occurs.

Raccoons are known to play an important role in the transmission of rabies in Korea. Infection occurs through direct contact or bite wounds, and almost all warm-blooded animals, including humans and dogs, can be infected.

The mass vaccination will be prioritized for dogs and cattle currently raised in high-risk areas for rabies outbreaks, such as counties adjacent to the Demilitarized Zone, past outbreak areas (Hwaseong, Suwon, Yeoncheon, Paju, Yangju, etc.), and mountainous regions with a high likelihood of contact with wild animals.

In areas where rabies has not yet occurred, vaccinations can be administered to registered dogs over three months old by visiting animal hospitals designated by each city or county.

In some cities and counties where visiting animal hospitals is difficult, mobile vaccinations will be conducted at village halls and other locations in towns and townships.

Additionally, bait vaccines will be distributed in areas where wild animals such as raccoons frequently appear, especially in past rabies outbreak areas and adjacent regions. This method involves placing vaccines inside food favored by wild animals so that they are naturally vaccinated while eating.

To this end, the province plans to prepare 250,000 doses of 'rabies prevention vaccine' and 240,000 doses of 'wildlife bait vaccine' this year to carry out the vaccination campaign. The second half mass vaccination is scheduled for September to October.

Kim Jong-hoon, head of the Animal Quarantine and Hygiene Division of the province, urged, "Please manage pets and livestock to prevent contact with wild animals, and if you find animals showing abnormal behavior, immediately report to the nearest Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratory or the animal quarantine department of each city or county."

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