Laikipia Rabies Vaccination-Round 2

Who: My name is Adam Ferguson and I am a National Science Foundation postdoctotral fellow living and working in rural Kenya, currently directing the Small Carnivore Research and Parastie Study (SCRAPS) . Together with Mr. Dedan Ngatia of Karatina University, Dr. Dishon Muloi of the International Livestock Research Institute and University of Edinburgh, and Dr. Dino Martins of Mpala Research Centre , we implemented a pilot rabies vaccination campaign in 2015 for 3 communitites surrounding Mpala Research Centre. With a goal of more than doubling our coverage (from 821 to 2,000 animals) we have partnered with a number of individuals and organizations for the 2016 campaign, including: Africa Network for Animal Welfare, Alliance for Contraception in Cats & Dogs, International Livestock Research Institute, Karatina University, Kenya Rangelands Wild Dog and Cheetah Project, Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals,  Laikipia County Government, Laikipia Wildlife Forum, Smithsonian Global Health Program, University of Liverpool, and Kenya's Zoonotic Disease Unit .

What: All funds generated from this campaign will be used to provide rabies vaccines for domestic dogs (and cats) living in rural communities across Laikipia County, Kenya. The 2016 Laikipia Rabies Vaccination Campaign (LRVC) seeks to expand coverage of the 2015 Pilot Campaign, in both number of animals vaccinated and number of communities undergoing vaccination efforts. Through increased partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, and additional conservancies, we plan to vaccinate at least 2,000 animals living across 7 communities. These communities include the same three we visited last year in addition to several new communities and towns.

Why: Domestic dogs are responsible for 99% of human rabies cases in Kenya, where an estimated 2,000 people are thought to die of the disease each and every year. Rabies cases are disproportinotely found among impoverished, rural communities, where children under the age of 15 are at greatest risk of contracting the disease. In the last five years, there have been 3 reported rabies-induced deaths in community members living in close proxmity to our research station and many more cases involving domestic dogs that were dispatched prior to transmitting this deadly disease to humans. In addition to the loss of domestic animals to rabies, including dogs, cats, donkeys, and cattle (all mammals are susceptible to rabies), endangered wildlife such as African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) and lions (Panthera leo) often succumb to rabies, further reducing their already dwindling numbers. Thus, rabies poses a real risk to people, livestock, and wildlife living in Laikipia County. Given the role of domestic dogs, across rural Africa, domestic dog vaccination campaigns serve as the major weapon against this deadly, yet completely preventable disease.

Where: Laikipia County, Kenya- communities of Dol Dol, Endana, Il Motiok, Il Polei, Koija, Lekiji, Maramoja, Ngobit, and Rumuruti.  


When: September 2016 (i.e. we need the funds ASAP:)

How Your Donations Help: All money generated from this campaing will go directly towards vaccinating the targeted 2,000 domestic dogs. Major expenses include transportation and accomodation for voulnteer veterinarians, supplies and consumables, vaccines themselves, and transport to and from the community. In addition, funds are used to hire people from the community to raise awareness and help increase moblization of dog owners during the campaigns. Finally, funds donated to this campaign will be used to print t-shirts, bracelets, and educational posters all aimed at increasing the awareness of, treatment options for, and risks associated with not vaccinating pets against rabies.

Our Gratitude: Given our goal to double our efforts from 2015, we have doubled the budget from $6,000 to $12,000, although we have raised 50% of our target, we are still short, limiting our abilitiy to reach more dogs and more communities. Your donations will translate directly into more dogs vaccinated, leading to greater protection of human, domestic, and wildlife health across Laikipia County. We simply could not conduct successful campaigns without your donations and we recognize that and greatly appreciate your support of our efforts to ultimatelely eliminate dog-mediated rabies from rural Kenay in the coming years.