'Losing money and suffering harm' after believing a traditional healer's claim of treating a dog bite for rabies.

Danger lurks

In mid-May, at the intersection of Xieng Nua village, Yen Na commune (Tuong Duong district), a dog suspected of having rabies chased and bit many people, causing residents to scatter in panic. Because they were young and couldn't escape in time, two children, aged 2 and 8, were bitten by the dog. "As soon as the incident was discovered, many local residents shouted to each other to chase and kill the dog. However, no one claimed ownership of the dog," said Mr. Vi Van Thang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Yen Na commune.

Because the dog was beaten to death, authorities have not yet determined whether it was infected with rabies. Many households subsequently panicked and took their children for rabies vaccinations. Notably, not long ago, a student in this village also died after being bitten by a rabid dog. This is the latest suspected case of a rabid dog bite in Nghe An province.

The habit of letting dogs roam freely means there's a constant risk of being bitten by a rabid dog.

One person dies from rabies every 15 minutes worldwide. This is a sad reality of the current rabies situation. Every year, rabies kills nearly 60,000 people, mostly children in developing countries. In Vietnam, statistics from the beginning of 2019 to the present show that over 170,765 people nationwide have been exposed to rabies and have received rabies vaccinations. Prior to that, in 2018, there were 103 deaths from rabies nationwide (an increase of 29 cases compared to 2017).

In Nghe An province, according to statistics from the Provincial Center for Disease Control, five people have died from rabies after being bitten by dogs since the beginning of the year. The most recent case involved a 7-year-old boy in Ma Thanh commune (Yen Thanh district). More than two months ago, while playing with a stray dog, the boy was accidentally bitten lightly on his hand and leg. However, due to negligence, his family did not take him for rabies vaccination. After the boy showed some unusual symptoms, his family took him to a traditional healer for treatment. By the time he was transferred to the Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, it was too late to save him.

A few months ago, also in Yen Thanh district, a 45-year-old teacher died from a rabies bite. The victim's family said that before the Lunar New Year, Mr. T. was bitten by a stray dog. However, due to complacency, thinking that dogs are less likely to contract rabies in winter, Mr. T. did not get vaccinated against rabies after exposure. Later, he began to experience unusual symptoms and was taken to the hospital for emergency treatment. Doctors diagnosed him with a severe case of rabies and transferred him to a higher-level hospital for treatment. Despite being transferred to a hospital in Hanoi for emergency care and treatment, Mr. T. died due to the severity of his condition.

Following these two deaths, people rushed to get rabies vaccinations. However, Mr. Bui Trong Long, Secretary of the Party Committee of Ma Thanh commune, said that due to the high cost, many households still face difficulties and cannot afford to get vaccinated.

According to Dr. Hoang Ngoc Dan from the Nghe An Provincial Center for Disease Control, high costs are also a reason why people are complacent and do not get vaccinated even after being bitten by a dog. The cost of rabies vaccine is 1.5 million VND per person, not including serum injections which cost more than 1 million VND for adults and about 500,000 VND for children. Since the beginning of the year, only nearly 5,000 people in the province have been vaccinated.

Absolutely do not believe what traditional healers say.

According to Dr. Dan, rabies cases typically increase during the summer. The incubation period is long, at least half a month, mostly several months, and in some cases even several years. The time it takes for the disease to develop depends on the location of the dog bite. The closer the bite is to the central nervous system, the faster the victim will develop the disease. Therefore, people bitten on the head, face, or neck should receive anti-rabies serum as soon as possible, within 12 hours of being bitten.

If it is known for certain that the dog was rabid, sick, or died a day after the bite, the bitten person, being in a high-risk group, should receive antiserum first, followed by rabies vaccine. If the bite is minor, occurs on the leg, far from the central nervous system, and the animal was normal at the time of the bite, the dog should be monitored for 10-15 days.

During the observation period, if the dog stops eating, dies, or goes missing, rabies vaccination must be administered immediately. However, if medical attention is delayed after a dog bite, the rabies antiserum will no longer be effective. It is best to get vaccinated immediately after being bitten. The full course of vaccination must be administered according to regulations, dosage, technique, and with the correct intervals between injections as instructed.

Since the beginning of the year, five people have died in Nghe An province due to rabies from dog bites.

Regarding the latest death in Nghe An, Dr. Hoang Ngoc Dan said that after the hospital discharged the child, the family took the child to a traditional healer for treatment. However, the child died a few hours after taking the healer's medicine. "Currently, people have a lot of faith in traditional healers. Instead of getting vaccinated after being bitten by a rabid dog, they take the child to a traditional healer. This is very dangerous," Dr. Dan said, adding that many cases of people recovering after being bitten by a dog were treated by traditional healers. But in reality, the dog that bit them was not rabid.

According to Doctor Dan, not 100% of those bitten by rabid dogs will develop rabies; some will, some won't. The risk of contracting rabies depends on the amount of virus in the dog's saliva and whether the wound is deep or not, or whether it breaks the skin. However, it's impossible to predict who will develop rabies, and since rabies is generally fatal, all those bitten by rabid dogs must be vaccinated against rabies.

Every year in our country, dozens of patients die needlessly because they trust traditional healers who diagnose them, prescribe medicine, and then neglect to get vaccinated.

To proactively prevent and control rabies, the Nghe An Provincial Center for Disease Control recommends that people who are bitten, scratched, or licked by dogs or cats should thoroughly wash the wound with soap and water continuously for 15 minutes. If soap is unavailable, the wound should be rinsed with clean water – this is an effective first aid measure to minimize the risk of contracting rabies after being bitten by a dog or cat.

Next, continue to clean the wound with 70% alcohol, iodine alcohol, or povidone iodine; avoid bruising the wound and do not bandage it tightly. Go immediately to the nearest medical center for advice and timely rabies vaccination. And most importantly, absolutely do not trust traditional healers.