Don't let rabies break out

07:53, 17/05/2023

Currently, hot weather is creating favorable conditions for rabies to develop in dogs and cats, and at the same time, there is a potential risk of rabies increasing in humans. Authorities are actively implementing measures to control and prevent rabies from breaking out.

Consecutive cases of rabies and deaths

According to statistics from the provincial Center for Disease Control (CDC), in the past 2 years, each year there have been 4 cases of rabies and deaths. Since the beginning of the year, 2 cases of rabies and deaths have been recorded. The most recent case was a 78-year-old woman (in Jung 2 hamlet, Ea Yong commune, Krong Pac district) who was bitten on the finger by a dog in December 2022, but did not get vaccinated against rabies, leading to rabies and death on May 9.

Vaccination against rabies for dogs in Ea Kuang commune, Krong Pac district.

According to Dr. Le Phuc, Deputy Director of the provincial CDC, the most worrying thing about rabies in Dak Lak today is that in addition to detecting rabies patients and deaths, veterinary tests have also detected many rabies viruses in dog herds. This shows that if dog herds are not well managed, controlling rabies in humans will be difficult.

Currently, the provincial CDC has coordinated with the veterinary agency to advise the agricultural sector and the health sector to advise the provincial People's Committee to issue a plan to prevent and control rabies throughout the province. In the face of the risk of rabies outbreaks, to effectively prevent and control rabies, the most important task at present is to increase vaccination for dogs; promote propaganda for people on dog management. At the same time, there needs to be a budget source to vaccinate against rabies for free for some groups of poor, near-poor, people in difficult circumstances, ethnic minorities, remote areas, etc.

In fact, there are many cases where people who have been scratched or bitten by dogs or cats do not get vaccinated against rabies but instead use traditional medicine to treat the disease, leading to illness and death. The provincial CDC has directed district-level medical centers to actively promote and raise people's awareness of rabies prevention and control, and instruct people to proactively go to medical facilities when they are scratched or bitten by dogs or cats to get advice, properly treat wounds, and get vaccinated. Along with that, the provincial CDC has contacted a vaccine company and has been sponsored 1,000 doses of rabies vaccine to be given free of charge to people in difficult circumstances. Currently, free rabies vaccination is being held at the provincial CDC's vaccination room.

Resolutely prevent rabies

Mr. Mai Xuan Ly, Deputy Head of the Provincial Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, said that the total number of dogs and cats in the province is currently more than 360,000 (including over 170,000 dogs and over 190,000 cats). Although the functional sector has made many efforts, the work of preventing and controlling rabies in dogs and cats is still facing many difficulties, especially the rate of dogs and cats vaccinated against the disease is still quite low. In 2022, the rate of rabies vaccination for dogs and cats in the province only reached over 30% of the total herd. The reason is due to the habit of raising dogs and cats free-range in the fields, making it difficult to capture them for vaccination. Moreover, many households are not fully aware of rabies, so they have not actively participated in rabies vaccination for their pets.

Medical staff educate people about rabies prevention in humans.

In March and April, the Provincial Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine implemented a mandatory rabies vaccination campaign for dogs and cats in the province. During this vaccination campaign, ethnic minority households, policy families, and poor households were vaccinated for free, while other cases had to pay 22,100 VND/dose/dog. Currently, 15 districts, towns, and cities in the province are still actively implementing rabies vaccination for dogs and cats combined with propaganda to help people understand the risks and harms of not vaccinating dogs and cats against rabies.

To increase the rate of rabies vaccination for dogs and cats and reduce the risk of death from rabies, Dak Lak has set a target of 70% of the total herd vaccinated against rabies in the 2022-2025 period and 80% in the 2026-2030 period, while promoting propaganda to encourage people to get additional vaccinations every year, in addition to the mass vaccination program. However, to achieve this goal, localities need to do a good job of managing dog and cat breeding; promote propaganda so that each person knows how to prevent diseases for dogs and cats.

The provincial Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine recommends that, in order to effectively prevent and control rabies, people raising dogs and cats must register and keep their pets within their family's premises. When letting dogs and cats out on the street, they must be muzzled, leashed and led by someone to prevent dogs from biting people. Dog and cat owners must vaccinate their pets against rabies according to regulations. When detecting dogs and cats showing unusual signs, they must be isolated for monitoring and reported to veterinary staff, local authorities or the nearest veterinary agency for coordination in handling.

Kim Oanh

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