Many people are attacked by domestic dogs, the risk of rabies infection is high in the summer

Ms. NHH (45 years old, Hanoi ) was taken to the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases after being bitten on the hand by her own dog.

Ms. H's dog weighed only about 5-6 kg but died shortly afterwards - a suspicious sign that could be related to rabies, although testing is needed to determine exactly.

Ms. H was quickly taken to a nearby medical facility to treat her wound and receive a rabies vaccine. However, due to her history of lupus erythematosus (an autoimmune disease that causes immune disorders), Ms. H was transferred to the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases to closely monitor the injection process to prevent anaphylactic shock or complications.

According to Dr. Tran Quang Dai, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, for patients with immune disorders such as lupus, rabies vaccination must be performed at a medical facility with full emergency capacity. The patient has completed the vaccination regimen and is in stable health.

The baby was attacked by a dog and had to have many stitches on his head.

The second case is a 5-year-old girl in Hanoi, who was attacked by a domestic dog weighing more than 20 kg in the head and face area, an area near the central nervous system, increasing the risk of spreading the virus if the animal carries rabies.

The girl was hospitalized with more than 10 wounds, including a deep wound with clear dog teeth marks. Doctors treated her with emergency treatment, stitching the wound with about 10 stitches to drain the fluid and reduce the risk of infection.

Dr. Pham Van Tinh, Department of Orthopedic and Spinal Surgery, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, said that many people think that closed sutures will heal faster, but with bites, open sutures help monitor and prevent complications better. Currently, the girl is being monitored and continues the vaccination regimen and rabies serum.

Dr. Ngo Thanh Ha, Deputy Director of the Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, warned: “Dogs, even small dogs, if not vaccinated against rabies regularly, can still carry the rabies virus, even if there are no obvious symptoms. The virus exists in saliva and can be transmitted to humans through bites, scratches, and licks through open wounds.

Most recently, a young man named VVV (28 years old, Hoa Binh) died of rabies more than a month after being bitten by a dog. In mid-February 2025, Mr. V was bitten in the middle of his left finger by a dog weighing about 6kg passing through a construction site (in Bao Hieu commune). The wound was shallow and bleeding.

After being bitten by a dog, Mr. V did not get vaccinated or get anti-rabies serum but treated the wound himself.

Rabies vaccination is the only and safest emergency preventive measure against dog or cat bites.

On March 27, Mr. V had symptoms of headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, mild shortness of breath, and excessive salivation. His family took him to a local medical facility for examination and treatment, but his condition became increasingly severe, with agitation, high fever of 39.5 degrees Celsius, chills, and vomiting. He was transferred to the Bach Mai Institute of Tropical Medicine, Bach Mai Hospital.

Here, the patient was tested twice using the RT-PCR method with two positive results for rabies virus. The hospital explained the patient's condition to the family and the family signed a request for the patient to be taken home for care. On April 3, Mr. V died.

Dr. Ngo Thanh Ha warned that the rabies virus is one of the most dangerous infectious agents, with a mortality rate of up to 100% if the patient has developed rabies. People need to fully vaccinate their pets, do not let dogs and cats roam freely; if they take their dogs outside, they must wear muzzles. Absolutely do not let young children come into close contact with large dogs when unsupervised. When bitten by a dog, even vaccinated dogs need to go to a medical facility for proper treatment and vaccination.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment , in the first 3 months of this year, 20 people died from rabies in 13 provinces and 80 animals in 22 provinces and cities were forced to be destroyed due to suspected rabies. Compared to the same period last year, the number of provinces and cities with suspected rabies cases decreased, but the number of people dying from rabies increased significantly.

Summer is the time when rabies is likely to break out. The heat makes dogs easily agitated and aggressive, while the situation of letting pets roam free without vaccination is still common. This is a favorable condition for the rabies virus to spread in the community. Therefore, doctors recommend that pet owners must vaccinate their dogs and cats against rabies periodically; dogs must wear muzzles when going out to prevent biting people.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/y-te/nhieu-nguoi-bi-cho-nha-tan-cong-nguy-co-lay-benh-dai-cao-trong-mua-he-i766509/