ZAGREB, Aug 11 (Hina) - The number of animals that got rabies in Croatia in the first half of 1999 almost doubled in comparison to the first six months of last year when there had been 185 cases of this disease.
ZAGREB, Aug 11 (Hina) - The number of animals that got rabies in
Croatia in the first half of 1999 almost doubled in comparison to
the first six months of last year when there had been 185 cases of
this disease.#L#
From January to the end of June this year, 389 animals incurred
rabies.
Most of ill animals are foxes, and they are the main carrier of this
disease. In Croatia, 330 foxes came down with rabies in the first
six months of this year, said the head of the Croatian Veterinary
Service, Mate Brstilo, recently.
Although a rather small number of domestic animals have this
disease, there is a reason for concern as 25 dogs and 19 cats were
registered with rabies in the first half of 1999. At that period
last year, four dogs and seven cats came down with it.
There are an increasing number of ill animals in the area of Nasice
(Slavonia), central, eastern Croatia and in the Dalmatian
hinterland.
Brstilo also pointed to the negligence of local authorities
responsible to contain rabies. He complained that they failed to
implement proposed measures. Brstilo appealed on farmers and
villagers to take certain steps by themselves in this regard.
The first wave of rabies was registered in Croatia in the beginning
of the 80-ties. Since then, the disease has spread to all parts of
the mainland, except islands. Main carriers are foxes, but domestic
animals can come down with it now and then.
In the mid-sixties, two persons in Croatia got this disease, but
they were infected abroad. These have been the only two cases of
hydrophobia registered in Croatia so far.
(hina) ms