Beijing is cleaning up its dog breeding farms in the wake of several rabies outbreaks in other parts of the country and officials say stray dogs pose the greatest threat of rabies in the capital.

The Beijing Municipal Agriculture Bureau will inspect the city's dog breeders and check the registration of pet dogs, in an effort to remove potential risks of a rabies outbreak.

"Stray animals are becoming the biggest threat of rabies outbreak because we cannot guarantee that they have been vaccinated," an official with the farming and veterinary department said.

The public security department will adopt homeless animals and deal with them after confirming they are stray. But the official did not say what will be done with the animals.

The bureau is also warning pet owners who have not yet registered their dogs that their pets must be vaccinated against rabies.

Dog breeding farms are required to be at least 500 meters from residential areas and water sources and carry out strict vaccination measures.

Rabies, often spread by dog bites, attacks the nervous system and is fatal in humans if not treated prior to the on-set of symptoms.

Mouding County in southwest China's Yunnan Province reported the deaths of three people from rabies in July. They died within ten days of being bitten even though they received treatment. The outraged community slaughtered 50,000 dogs after the deaths were reported.

The Beijing municipal government requires rabies cases or suspected rabies cases to be immediately reported to the health department.

More than 60,000 people have been bitten or scratched by dogs or cats in Beijing so far this year. One rabies death occurred in Beijing but the authorities found that the person, who did not seek treatment, was bitten by a sick dog outside the city.

Source: Xinhua