StemCell Therapy

This years campaign began on World Rabies Day on Sept. 28. The program is staffed entirely by volunteers and a team of veterinarians who have already vaccinated 7,000 dogs and 1,200 cats.

Vaccines work by stimulating the immune system (the bodys defense system against pathogens) to recognize and mount a response against viruses. So the next time a vaccinated dog encounters rabies, it will not develop the disease or become infectious to other animals. This is called immunity, and it stops a potential outbreak in its tracks.

Its impossible to vaccinate every single dog in the area, but once enough animals are vaccinated, the disease becomes so rare that it cannot be maintained in a population, no longer poses a threat and can hopefully be eliminated. This is how human vaccines work, too!

In addition to these critical free vaccination services, it is equally important to inform dog owners of the risk that unvaccinated dogs might pose to human health. To accomplish this, Dr. Kamau and Dr. Milnes are also conducting research to find out what people know (and dont know) about rabies.

This kind of research is called a knowledge, attitudes and practices study (or KAP study). It can help identify gaps in community knowledge and behaviors that might leave people vulnerable to disease exposure. For example, many languages refer to rabies as mad dog disease, leading to a common misunderstanding that the disease only affects dogs and people are not at risk.

The principle of One Health means that the health of domestic animals, people, wildlife and the environment are all intertwined. The global burden of rabies demonstrates just how closely our health is interrelated, and illustrates the value of veterinary medicine to human health and wildlife conservation. In short, vaccinating dogs also protects wildlife and saves human lives.

Veterinary fellows Dr. Maureen Kamau and Dr. Ellie Milnes are supported through a partnership between the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Mpala Research Centre, Kenya Wildlife Service and Ol Jogi Wildlife Conservancy, demonstrating the importance of this work to many stakeholders in the region.

Generous core support for the Global Health Programs training program is provided by Morris Animal Foundation and Dennis and Connie Keller.

See the original post here:
Stopping Rabies in its Tracks: How Canine Vaccines are Saving Lives in Kenya - Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

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