Get rid of stray dogs in town: Simon

AGRICULTURE Minister John Simon has asked authorities in East Sepik to get rid of stray dogs in Wewak due to an outbreak of heart worms.
“East Sepik will be looking at addressing the feral dog issue in the main town (Wewak) after investigations (by National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority) revealed an increase in deaths of dogs caused by ‘heart worms’,” Simon said.
National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority (Naqia) chief veterinary officer Dr Ilagi Puana said the disease had been
affecting a lot of dogs in the province.
“Dogs in the province have been living with this disease for quite some time. Naqia is yet to identify why this is so,” he said.
Puana added that the disease was costly and approximately K5,000 can be spent to treat one infected dog alone.
Simon noted that following an operation last month by Naqia and the East Sepik provincial health authority – he gave directed the establishment of a task force to be set up to ensure illegal or not authorised and inappropriately documented imported goods to be removed from shops.
Simon believed that presence of viruses in the country was also a result of unauthorised items brought into the country.