Many children were seriously attacked by dogs during the summer.

It was early summer but the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases had already admitted many children who had been seriously bitten by dogs. There was even a child who had been bitten by a rabid dog but did not tell his family. Four days after the dog died, he watched TV about rabies and then told his parents.

On the afternoon of June 18, the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases announced that it had just admitted a 29-month-old baby in Hanoi with many very serious injuries caused by dog ​​bites.

According to the child's family, during the summer vacation, the child was brought back to his hometown. While playing at a neighbor's house, he saw a large dog weighing about 20kg chained in the yard. He ran over to pet it and was suddenly attacked. The dog rushed out and bit him many times on the neck, arm and right thigh. The most serious wound was a 3x5cm wide laceration in the neck, only 3cm from the carotid artery - an area that could be life-threatening if the injury spreads downwards.

After initial first aid at the local level, the child was taken to the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases for vaccination and close monitoring of post-vaccination reactions.

A child bitten by a dog came to get vaccinated and anti-rabies serum.

Another case is that of a 12-year-old boy in Hanoi who was bitten on the hand by his family dog ​​while trying to catch the dog and lock it up. Thinking the wound was minor, he did not tell an adult. The next day, the dog suddenly died, drooling from its mouth. It was not until four days later, after reading information online about rabies, that he told his parents and was immediately taken to the hospital for vaccination.

According to Dr. Tran Quang Dai - Vaccination Center, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, leading experts recommend that even dogs and cats that have been fully vaccinated against rabies are not absolutely safe because the effectiveness of the vaccine on pets depends on many factors such as: Time of vaccination, whether the annual booster vaccination schedule is complete or not, correct vaccination regimen, vaccine quality... Rabies virus exists in the saliva of dogs and cats, and can be transmitted to humans through bites, so people bitten by dogs and cats (whether pets are vaccinated or not) still need to be vaccinated against rabies to prevent the disease.

Summer is the time when rabies is at increased risk, as children often play outdoors, while hot weather makes dogs and cats more agitated and aggressive. In addition, families tend to travel a lot, increasing the possibility of exposure to sources of infection.

Previously, Viet Duc Hospital received an 11-year-old girl (Luc Ngan, Bac Giang ) who was bitten by a family dog ​​in the neck, causing serious injuries that required emergency surgery. This dog had lived with the family for 12 years.

According to the family, the child was playing with the dog when he was suddenly bitten in the neck. Because the dog had been raised for a long time and had been vaccinated against rabies, the family was complacent and did not take the child to the hospital immediately but continued to let the child live normally at home.

It was not until mealtime, when the baby was chewing and swallowing, that the family discovered saliva and food flowing from the wound in the neck. This is a warning sign of deep damage to the esophagus - a dangerous condition that can lead to severe infection, even life-threatening. At this time, the baby was taken to the emergency room.

Fortunately, CT scan showed that the trachea was not affected, but endoscopy showed that the esophagus had two holes. The child was treated promptly, so there were no life-threatening complications.

Summer is coming, doctors recommend that parents do not let children play near dogs and cats - especially strange dogs, dogs that are eating, sleeping, looking after children or showing signs of aggression. When bitten by a dog, quickly wash the wound with soap under running water for at least 15 minutes, disinfect and go to a medical facility for advice and timely vaccination. Even dogs and cats that have been vaccinated against rabies, if they bite people, must still be closely monitored for 10-15 days.

If the pet shows abnormal signs or dies, the person bitten needs to be fully vaccinated against rabies. Families also need to regularly vaccinate dogs and cats against rabies according to veterinary instructions; do not let dogs roam freely and when taking dogs out in public, they need to be leashed and muzzled to ensure community safety.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/doi-song/nhieu-tre-bi-cho-tan-cong-nghiem-trong-dip-he-i771954/