SADER Launches National Campaign to Combat Rabies in Livestock

The Mexican Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), through the National Service for Agri-Food Health, Safety, and Quality (SENASICA), is urging livestock producers in Oaxaca to participate in the National Campaign for the Prevention and Control of Rabies in Cattle and Livestock Species. The campaign, which operates across 26 states, aims to protect the nation's livestock and safeguard the livelihoods of thousands of families in Oaxaca.

SENASICA emphasized the importance of preventive vaccination to control paralytic rabies. In 1H24, veterinary professionals administered 560,726 doses of rabies vaccine nationwide. The State Livestock Promotion and Protection Committee in Oaxaca administered 2,910 vaccines to animals in 287 production units during the 3Q24. Coordination efforts continue with health authorities in Oaxaca's Mixteca region to ensure the campaign's success.

As part of its ongoing epidemiological surveillance for paralytic rabies control, SENASICA staff and livestock committees have carried out 1,191 operations to capture hematophagous bats, which are known to attack livestock. These efforts aim to reduce the risk of rabies transmission to cattle and other livestock.

Thanks to active participation in the campaign, livestock producers have reported 270 animals with suspected rabies. Laboratory tests confirmed 152 cases, including 131 cattle, five equids, four sheep, nine hematophagous bats, and three insectivorous bats. 

While several states, including Aguascalientes, Baja California, and Tlaxcala, are recognized as free from this disease due to the absence of hematophagous bats, Oaxaca remains endemic due to the presence of these bats. Thanks to the National Campaign, 55.87% of Mexico’s territory is now rabies-free, while 44.13% remains in the control phase. The initiative continues to strengthen efforts to protect Mexico’s livestock sector from this critical disease.