Rabies Haunts Bali

Recent reports from health officials in Bali suggest the intense measures taken by the Island administration in controlling the spread of the disease, which has not spared any district in this well-known tourist destination.

Emphasizing the need for more action, Nyoman Sutedja, head of the Bali Heath Office, said, “We still need to improve our readiness because rabies can spread really quickly.”

Rabies - Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention
Rabies is a preventable viral disease affecting the central nervous system.

Rabies has already claimed 121 lives so far since 2008. In 2011, the number of lives lost has already touched five.

Nearly Rp 47 billion has been spent in the last three years to check the spread of rabies.

Putu Sumantra, head of Bali’s animal husbandry agency, said, “We have been monitoring the number of people being bitten by dogs, and the figure keeps decreasing by the day. There are even 10 villages where not one person was bitten by a dog in the past 12 months.”

Rabies Outbreak in Bali Claims 100th Victim
An outbreak of rabies on the Indonesian resort island of Bali has claimed 100 lives over two years, a health official said Friday.

Vaccination is the only means to control the scourge, and the Bali administration is leaving no stone unturned in protecting the nearly 300,000 dog population on the island. A mass vaccination drive is on in full swing.

Eight People Put Behind Bars in China Over Fake Rabies Vaccines
Eight people have courted arrest in southern China for marketing fake rabies vaccines to local clinics, which caused the death of a four-year-old boy.

Source-Medindia