Kisii County is focusing on livestock production with the aim of ensuring food security and wealth creation.
On Thursday, Governor Simba Arati officiated the launch of the annual county Livestock Vaccination programme at the Bobaracho market centre in Kitutu Chache North Constituency.
The vaccination, which is against anthrax and rabies, will be rolled out throughout the county.
This is with the exception of Bobasi and Bonchari where the vaccination has already been done following a recent outbreak.
"The key objective is to increase productivity in the livestock sector through prevention of disease occurrence since healthy animals result in increased and sustained production," Arati said during the launch.
The program has targeted over 146,998 heads of cattle and 53,121 heads of sheep in the seven sub-counties.
Further, it also targets some 15, 000 dogs.
"I urge residents of the county to cooperate with the veterinary officers who will be traversing the villages and have all their animals vaccinated," the governor said.
He noted that the annual exercise is done to protect the public from diseases which can be transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa.
"Dog-mediated rabies is the most commonest reported due to dog bites from rabid or infected dogs. Vaccinating the entire dog population is an efficient way of stopping the transmission cycle of deadly rabies," he said.
Present was Agriculture and Livestock County Executive Committee (CEC) member Margret Obaga who noted that rabies is a viral disease that targets the nervous system causing paralysis and death.
"It has a 100 percent mortality rate and it is transmitted through contact with the saliva of infected animals, especially through dog bites from infected dogs," she said.
Chief Officer in charge of Livestock and veterinary services Agnes Choti warned that anthrax in cattle was becoming common in the county.
She urged the public to avoid coming into contact with or feeding on such carcasses as anthrax affects both humans and animals and can be fatal.
"Cattle, sheep and goats that die suddenly should be reported to the nearest veterinary offices. Sudden death with or without blood oozing from body openings should be suspected of having died from anthrax until proven otherwise by a Veterinary officer," she said.
