(QBĐT) - The number of deaths from rabies in the first 3 months of 2024 nationwide doubled compared to the same period in 2023. Currently, 16/63 provinces and cities have recorded cases of rabies in humans, of which the Central and Central Highlands regions have recorded a sudden increase in the number of rabies deaths. In Quang Binh, 1 death from rabies has also been recorded and the number of people bitten by dogs and cats who have had to be vaccinated against rabies has increased dramatically since Tet. Therefore, the risk of a shortage of rabies vaccines is present, and if not supplemented promptly, it will be very difficult for the prevention of rabies in humans.
100% mortality rate when disease occurs
Rabies is one of the most common infectious diseases with the highest number of deaths. Since 2022, rabies has been on the rise. In particular, since the beginning of 2024, the number of deaths from rabies has been increasing. The country has recorded 27 deaths from rabies in humans, more than double the number in the same period in 2023.
The Central Highlands region has recorded a sudden increase in the number of rabies deaths, currently the highest in the country (13 cases). 100% of rabies deaths are due to not getting vaccinated against rabies or getting vaccinated late when bitten or scratched by a dog or cat.
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Rabies is an acute viral infection of the central nervous system, transmitted from animals to humans through bites, scratches, or licks of rabid animals on damaged skin. In our country, the main sources of rabies transmission are dogs and cats (dogs are the reservoir of rabies virus accounting for 96-97%, cats account for 3-4%).
Normally, the incubation period of rabies in humans is from 2-8 weeks, or can be longer than 1 year, depending on the amount of rabies virus entering the body through a minor or severe wound and the distance from the wound to the brain. If the wound is severe, close to the central nervous system, the incubation period is short and is shortest when the bite is on the head, face, hands and especially for children.
Recently, there have been a number of cases with a short incubation period of 10-15 days, many of which were children under 5 years old who were bitten by dogs or cats in the head and face, causing serious injuries in areas near the central nervous system.
Medical experts confirm: Once rabies develops, both animals and humans have a mortality rate of nearly 100%.
Risk of rabies vaccine shortage
According to the Director of the Provincial Center for Disease Control, Do Quoc Tiep, the peak time for rabies cases is usually in the summer, concentrated in August and September; but this year, there has been a sudden increase in the first months of the year. In particular, since the Lunar New Year, in Quang Binh, the number of people bitten by dogs and cats who have had to be injected with anti-rabies serum (HTKD) and rabies vaccine has increased dramatically.
In January and February alone, the province had more than 650 patients coming to local medical facilities for HTKD injections and rabies vaccines (including more than 180 children under 15 years old). Bo Trach and Ba Don are the two localities with the highest number of people receiving HTKD injections and rabies vaccines.
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At the provincial Center for Disease Control's vaccination service facility, nursing graduate Tran Thi Binh said that in the first 3 months of this year, the number of people coming to get rabies vaccinations increased dramatically, more than double compared to the same period last year. As of March 29, the vaccination room had administered HTKD and rabies vaccines to over 150 people with nearly 500 injections, including 45 children under 15 years old.
Here, when receiving patients, doctors examine, advise and inject rabies vaccine, HTKD depending on the location, severity of the bite and the rabies situation in animals in the area... "According to the regulations of the Ministry of Health, the rabies prevention treatment regimen must inject 5 doses of vaccine on exactly 5 days (0-3-7-14-28) to be effective in preventing the disease", nurse Binh shared.
However, due to the sudden increase in dog and cat bites requiring rabies vaccination in the first 3 months of the year, some district health centers and the provincial Center for Disease Control are running out of rabies vaccines. In particular, Le Thuy District Health Center has run out of rabies vaccines since mid-March to vaccinate people when bitten by dogs and cats (suspected rabid animals).
“At the end of 2023, the unit planned to purchase rabies vaccines for 2024 and won 2 bids with 1,000 vials of vaccine, but in the first 3 months of the year, they were almost all used up; from March 22 until now, there is not enough to vaccinate new patients, and the few vaccines are only used to return shots for elderly patients in remote areas. Faced with the pressure of rabies vaccination for patients continuing to increase, the unit proactively purchased an additional 20% of bid package 1 according to regulations (100 vials). However, this amount of vaccine is only enough to prioritize returning shots and vaccinating children and the elderly in the immediate future. Currently, health sector units are waiting for a new circular to guide the bidding for vaccines in 2024. During this period, if the number of people bitten by dogs and cats does not decrease, it will be difficult to prevent rabies,” said the Director of the Provincial Center for Disease Control.
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Proactive prevention
The health sector stated: The risk of rabies transmission from animals to humans continues. However, people's awareness of the dangers and measures to prevent and control rabies is still limited, leading to subjectivity and negligence in treatment after being bitten by dogs and cats. Management of dog and cat herds is still limited, many localities still allow dogs and cats to roam freely, leading to an increased risk of attacks on humans.
Most recently, the case of a 5-year-old girl in Le Thuy district who was bitten by a neighbor's dog in the face and had to have nearly 50 stitches is a warning bell for everyone and the whole community to join hands more strongly in preventing and fighting rabies, protecting the health and lives of many people. Especially young children; it is necessary to propagate and instruct children on how to avoid dog and cat bites and immediately notify their parents after being scratched or bitten by a dog or cat.
Bo Trach is the locality that recorded 1 death due to rabies and has the highest number of people vaccinated against rabies in the province since the beginning of the year. Head of the Department of Disease Control - Addiction Treatment Consulting (Bo Trach District Medical Center) Do Xuan Tinh said: Due to the increase in the number of people bitten by dogs and cats, especially in Phong Nha town and the communes of Phuc Trach, Lam Trach, Xuan Trach, the unit has directed the commune health stations to strengthen the work of proactively monitoring cases of people in contact with animals with rabies or suspected rabies in the area to promptly detect and mobilize cases at risk of exposure to the rabies virus to medical facilities for vaccination and post-exposure prophylaxis.
At the same time, promote communication in the community about rabies and post-exposure prophylaxis; coordinate with the veterinary sector in managing and vaccinating dogs and cats against rabies in the area.
| The provincial Center for Disease Control recommends: Currently, there is no specific treatment for rabies. When a patient is diagnosed with rabies, the mortality rate is 100%. Therefore, to prevent the risk of rabies, people who are scratched or bitten by a dog or cat should quickly wash the wound under running water immediately with soap for 15 minutes; if there is no soap, the wound can be washed with normal water. Use iodine solution or 70-degree alcohol to disinfect the wound, limit bruising the wound, do not stitch or cover the wound. Then go to a medical facility for examination, consultation and rabies vaccination as soon as possible. |
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