Enhance vaccination against rabies in dogs

There was a death from rabies

According to Binh Phuoc Center for Disease Control, from the beginning of 2023 to now, the province has had three people bitten by rabies dogs, causing one death.

The death was recorded in Thuan Loi commune, Dong Phu district, who was bitten by a dog but did not vaccinate against rabies. Fortunately, the remaining two cases in Dong Xoai City and Chon Thanh Town were vaccinated against rabies after being bitten by dogs.

In Minh Lap commune (Chon Thanh town), the number of dogs raised is quite large, mainly by the free-range method, which is challenging to manage and supervise. It is estimated that there are about 2,000 dogs raised among the people in the commune.

As soon as one case of rabies was detected, the People's Committee of Minh Lap commune vaccinated 100% of the dogs and cats of the households raised in the area.

Mr. Le Quoc Huy, Vice Chairman of Minh Lap Commune People's Committee, said that due to the majority of people in the area being ethnic minorities, the habit of raising dogs freely, vaccination work faced many difficulties.

"We will mobilize all departments, unions, and residential areas to explain and convince these households to keep their dogs in captivity and vaccinate them yearly to ensure no rabies disease," said Mr. Le Quoc Huy.

Chon Thanh Town has 9,184 households raising dogs and cats, totaling about 14,000 dogs. From the beginning of 2023 to now, 45 cases of people being bitten by dogs, then went to commune and ward health stations to get vaccinated against rabies. The Chon Thanh Town Health Center also propagates that people bitten by dogs and cats should not treat themselves at home.

Enhance control the rabies disease

The People's Committee of Binh Phuoc province has just issued a document requesting the correction of vaccination against disease for livestock in the province, including vaccination against rabies for dogs and cats, to control rabies disease.

Provincial People's Committee directs departments, agencies, and localities in 2022 - 2030 to manage 70% of households raising dogs and cats, vaccinating 70-80% of raised dogs and cats in 2022 - 2030.

Binh Phuoc Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has conducted a review and worked on rabies vaccination for dogs and cats in the area. The province also set up teams to catch stray dogs and animals showing signs of rabies and impose administrative sanctions on owners.

Often in hot weather, dogs and cats are susceptible to rabies, increasing the number of people bitten by dogs and cats. Understanding and awareness of each family, individual, and community raising livestock is crucial to minimize rabies in humans, dogs, and cats. Not keeping dogs free will reduce the risk of developing rabies.

"Currently, localities continue to review and accurately statistics the number of dog households in each residential area and dogs in each family for management, and at the same time support vaccination against rabies for dogs. Dog households commit to strictly implementing the registration and declaration of pets, observing the keeping of dogs in the family premises, and implementing leashes, cages, and muzzles per regulations to prevent and minimize dog biting, reducing the risk of developing rabies", said Mr. Le Ngoc Van, Deputy Director of the Department of Health.

Health experts warn that rabies is very dangerous. Vaccinating dogs and cats is an effective way to prevent rabies. Some people are still subjective. When bitten by an animal, they do not go for rabies vaccination because they think their domestic dog has been vaccinated.

Therefore, even though dogs and cats have been fully vaccinated against rabies when bitten or licked on the scratched skin, people need to wash the wound with soap and water and disinfect it with Povidin solution immediately to a health facility with rabies vaccination for advice on vaccination.

If an unidentified feral dog or cat bites you, you must immediately go to a medical facility to be vaccinated against rabies.

In the past five years, rabies in our country has killed 410 people, and over 2.7 million people have to receive preventive treatment. In 2022, the whole country recorded 70 deaths. In the first three months of 2023, there were 23 deaths from rabies.

Rabies is common worldwide. Each year, more than 10 million people who a rabid or suspected rabies animal bites require vaccination. About 60,000 - 70,000 people die from the disease, primarily reported in tropical countries.

There is currently no drug that can cure rabies. Once infected with the rabies virus, a person with rabies certainly has no cure. During a rabies attack, the mortality rate is 100%. The only way to save people from being bitten by a rabid dog or cat is to get a vaccination against rabies as soon as possible.