Nghe An: Warning about stray dogs, people losing their lives

Unjust deaths

In October - November 2018, Quy Chau district had 2 people die from rabies. They are Mrs. VTX (60 years old, in Chau Nga commune, died on November 7) and Mr. LVT (62 years old, in Chau Thang commune, died on October 22).

Both victims were exposed to rabies by being bitten by a sick dog (both dogs were not vaccinated); they did not treat the wound on the spot, nor did they get vaccinated because they subjectively thought that the dog that bit them did not have rabies. The incubation period is 3 months...when discovered, it was too late to save them.

Not only in Quy Chau, since the beginning of the year, rabies has caused death in many localities in the province. According to statistics from the provincial Center for Preventive Medicine, in addition to the 2 cases in Quy Chau, there were 6 other deaths due to rabies.

The health department's working group grasped the rabies situation at the victims' families in Nghi Loc district. Photo: Thanh Chung

In Nghi Loc district, there were 4 deaths due to rabies. The victims in Nghi Loc include: DTV (Nghi Phong commune, died on January 15), NTT (Nghi Thiet commune, died on July 27), NHH (Nghi Kieu commune, died on July 28) and TNN (Nghi Truong commune, died on September 14).

Deaths from rabies are always unjust and extremely painful. Regret forever tears at those left behind. Mr. TTT - the father of the victim TNN, is tormented: "He was in 2nd grade. The family did not know when he was bitten by a dog. The person who discovered his symptoms was the teacher in the class... I am very painful and regretful for not paying enough attention to my child."

Sharing the same sentiment, Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan (43 years old, husband of victim NTT) said: “T got rabies about a year after being bitten by a dog. When he was bitten, T went to the medical station to get 5 stitches but did not get vaccinated. Instead, he and his family raised a dog and went to get herbal medicine from a traditional healer in Dien Chau district... When T was bitten by a dog, I scolded him for going to the neighbor's house at noon; and I was not determined to make him get vaccinated.”

Mr. Vo Van Thang, Acting Director of Nghi Loc District Medical Center, said: All 4 cases of rabies deaths in the district were bitten by dogs that had not been vaccinated against rabies and all 4 patients after being bitten by dogs did not get vaccinated against rabies. 3/4 of the cases used traditional medicine for treatment despite being advised by medical staff.

Whose responsibility is it?

Rabies has been causing pain everywhere, lasting for many years. Since 2008, Nghe An has had over 62 deaths due to rabies.

The root cause of rabies causing high mortality in the province is: Rabies pathogens are circulating from many directions. Meanwhile, people's awareness is still limited, not getting vaccinated but treating with traditional medicine - not capable of preventing and curing rabies. The rate of rabies vaccination for dogs and cats is low.

Looking at the root cause of the disease, it is clear that the responsibility for the deaths lies with the victims, their families, the people, local authorities and the health sector...

Vaccination of dogs and cats is the most effective way to prevent rabies. Illustrative photo

The family's responsibility is shown in the concern for the victim, in the awareness of the disease. A large proportion of children are bitten by dogs and cats but hide it, the elderly are bitten but do not come to the clinic or get advice but do not get vaccinated; some cases are poor people who are bitten by dogs and cats but do not get vaccinated against rabies (fear of the cost, 5 rabies shots cost over 1 million VND) but are treated with traditional medicine.

According to the investigation on rabies, 480/480 communes and wards in the province have households raising dogs and cats. The responsibility of the people lies in: Raising dogs and cats but letting them roam free without vaccinating them; lack of cooperation with veterinary agencies to vaccinate against rabies...

It is known that before TNN passed away, in Hamlet 10, Nghi Truong Commune, there were only 36 households raising dogs that had vaccinated their dogs (accounting for 1/3 of the households raising dogs). On a provincial level, the annual rabies vaccination rate for dogs and cats was only about 18%. Meanwhile, to eliminate the rabies pathogen, the mandatory vaccination rate must be over 70% continuously for many years.

To prevent rabies, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee issued Plan No. 708 dated November 29, 2017 on the implementation of the national program to control and eliminate rabies in Nghe An province in the period of 2018 - 2021. The plan clearly states: the responsibility of dog owners is to register their dog raising with the People's Committee at the commune level; declare their dog raising to the head of the residential group/hamlet/village and commit to keeping (or chaining) the dog in the family's premises; when taking the dog out in public, it must be muzzled or chained.

In addition, dog owners are required to vaccinate their dogs and cats against rabies and pay for the vaccination costs.

Nghe An Provincial People's Committee supports vaccination costs for the poor in high-risk areas. In addition to specific statistics on the number of pets, propaganda, and mobilizing people to vaccinate their pets, Nghe An province includes the rabies prevention and control results as a criterion for evaluating and classifying the annual task completion of the People's Committees at the commune level. In 2018, the Provincial People's Committee allocated 1,250 billion VND to implement this plan... However, in reality, the number of people bitten by dogs and cats who have to get rabies vaccination every year is very large. (Just counting the vaccination room of the Provincial Center for Preventive Medicine, each year more than 7,000 people are vaccinated against rabies), it is clear that rabies prevention has not yet received attention from local authorities and people.

Currently, in the province, there are still dozens of folk healers who are “killing people” day and night by preventing and treating rabies for people bitten by dogs and cats with traditional medicine. Modern medicine and traditional medicine both confirm: “Only vaccination and anti-rabies serum can treat rabies”.

Doctor Nguyen Xuan Hong, Deputy Director of the Department of Health, stated: After the unfortunate deaths caused by rabies, the health sector will continue to advise the Provincial People's Committee to direct localities to effectively implement Directive 03, resolutely eliminate unlicensed medical and pharmaceutical establishments, especially those treating and preventing rabies with traditional medicine; as well as advise the poor and near-poor to receive some financial support when getting rabies vaccination...