Vets in the Philippines are turning to technology to fight rabies, using tracking tools to identify problem areas in mass campaigns to vaccinate dogs. Reuters’ Matthew Stock reports.
Dogs in Manila are getting their shots as part of the Philippines’ drive to be rabies-free by 2020.
In a country with over 10 million dogs, this is no walk in the park. But a new app is helping keep the mass vaccination on track. Once vaccinated, the dog’s picture is quickly taken on a smartphone. This photo geo-tags dogs by location and uploads the data to an interactive map.
Designed by animal rights group the Humane Society International, the app is helping them identify key areas to target. They’re now offering free door-to-door vaccinations, and since March have given about 16,000 dogs their shots.
The Philippines ranks fifth in the world for rabies cases. Around 200 people a year die from related infections, acquired mainly through dog bites.
