Father and son in Hoa Binh died from rabid dog bite
A family of four in Luong Son district was bitten by a rabid dog during Tet. Three months later, two of them died because they did not have time to get vaccinated.
On the morning of April 5, Mr. Bui Van Dung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Trung Son Commune, Luong Son District (Hoa Binh) said that two people in a family had just died from being bitten by a dog carrying the rabies virus.
On March 31, Mr. Bui Van Tuan (32 years old, Trung Son commune) had hiccups, difficulty breathing, fear of water, fear of noise and light, and panic, so his family took him to the district medical center for emergency treatment. Diagnosed with rabies, his relatives transferred Mr. Tuan to the provincial general hospital and then to the Central Tropical Hospital; on April 2, he was discharged from the hospital and returned home, but died.
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Dogs at a kennel in Hanoi. Photo:Household |
On the morning of April 3, Bui Van Tung (son of Mr. Tuan) died at a traditional healer's house in Son Tay (Hanoi) also due to rabies. "After his father was diagnosed with rabies, the whole family went to get vaccinated. However, Tung had a fever at that time so he could not get vaccinated. After that, the family asked him to go to a traditional healer for treatment but was not allowed," said Mr. Dung.
The Chairman of Trung Son Commune added that Mrs. Bui Thi Be (Mr. Tuan's mother) was also diagnosed with rabies because her blood got into an open wound when she killed the dog. She is currently in critical condition. "Mr. Tuan's wife and second child have been vaccinated and fortunately so far there are no signs of rabies," Mr. Dung added.
Faced with the above developments, many people around Mr. Tuan's house and his coworkers went to the medical facility to get rabies vaccinations.
Previously, on February 6 (the second day of the Lunar New Year), Mr. Tuan was bitten by his family's dog on the back of his hand, causing bleeding. Then, the dog continued to bite his wife and daughter, causing scratches. A day later, the dog bit Bui Van Tung's hand, causing bleeding.
Mr. Tuan caught the dog and chained it up, but it bit him again. He hacked the dog to death and buried it. Mrs. Bui Thi Be, while helping her son bury the dog, accidentally got dog blood on an open wound on her hand. When the dog bit her, the entire family did not treat the wound or get vaccinated against rabies.
Leaders of Hoa Binh Provincial Center for Preventive Medicinesaid that the incubation period of rabies usually lasts from one to three months; in some cases it takes up to 12 months for the disease to develop and cause death. During the incubation period, the victim often shows no external symptoms. "We are coordinating with local authorities to step up rabies prevention and control in the area," he said.