ARKHANGELSK, February 6 (Itar-Tass) - Several territories of the Nenets autonomous district in the Polar region have been quarantined because of an epidemic of rabies which hit animals there.
The Arkhangelsk regional governor has banned walking with dogs, dog training and sale of animals in the abandoned settlement of Yushino on the Polar iceland of Kiselichny until the quarantine is lifted, the press service of the government of the Arkhangelsk region told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.
The quarantine was first enforced on the territory of the Stary Aeroport micro- district, where a fox bit a local resident and infected him, on January 18. Chief of the local inspection for veterinary supervision Sergei Kopsov said that three- four animals sick with rabies are found in the Nenets autonomous district annually, which poses a threat to the local population, particularly in winter when animals come close to settlements in search of food. " All the necessary measures will be taken to eliminate the threat of further spread of the infection," Koposov assured. The quarantine will be lifted two months after the last incident of rabies is registered.
Unlike the Nenets Autonomous District, the Arkhangelsk region had no incidents of rabies for 60 years running. Local veterinary services have been vaccinating animals in all the areas of the district on a permanent basis. "We have been vaccinating animals and dogs in dog nurseries and animal shelters free of charge," Koposov said.