A dog gets a rabies vaccination in Đắk Lắk Province. Photo nhandan.com.vn

 ĐẮK LẮK - Two people have died in the last three weeks in the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk after being bitten by rabid dogs.

On March 22, N.Đ.H, 20, living in Ea Wy Commune, Ea H’leo District was admitted to the Central Highlands General Hospital after suffering fatigue, poor appetite and fear of wind, water and lights after being bitten by a neighbour’s dog.

A family member said he was bitten by a dog on the right finger about a month ago. Two days later, the dog died, but N.Đ.H did not get vaccinated against rabies.

Doctors diagnosed him with rabies and he died on March 23 while on the way to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in HCM City.

The other victim was a 39-year-old man, from Cư Êbur Commune, Buôn Ma Thuột City, who was admitted to the hospital with dog bite injuries on March 11.

“The patient was hospitalised in a state of fatigue, fear of wind, water and light, and diagnosed with rabies by doctors,” a representative from the hospital said. He died a day later.

Neither victim received a rabies vaccination after the bites as they didn't take the danger seriously.

In 2019 and 2020, the province recorded 12 rabies deaths, all people who were not vaccinated and were bitten by dogs.

Enforce punishment

According to the provincial Centre for Disease Control’s officials, the main cause of deaths from rabies was dogs and cats being allowed to roam residential areas freely.

In addition, a majority of dogs have not been vaccinated against rabies.

Statistics from the provincial authorities indicate the province has more than 400,000 dogs, but an average of only 50,000 doses of vaccine are injected every year.

The provincial Centre for Disease Control reported there are about 4,000 dog bites recorded each year where the victims come for a rabies shot.

Despite the regulation being in place for four years, no fines for failure to muzzle dogs in public have been levied in the province.

Decree 90 issued in 2017 stipulated fines from VNĐ600,000 to VNĐ800,000 for not muzzling a dog in public.

Nguyễn Trọng Văn in Cư Êbur Commune, Buôn Ma Thuột City said: “Although the Government has imposed punishment against owners of dogs without muzzles, for a long time, no cases have been reported.”

“Therefore, in order to limit the risk of dog bites, I suggest that it should be strictly forbidden to let dogs out in public without leashes and muzzles,” said Văn.

“Every year, the local veterinary sector needs to have a plan to vaccinate dogs.”

After the two rabies deaths, the provincial Department of Health directed local medical centres to step up rabies prevention and control work.

Family dogs should be vaccinated and all districts, towns and cities will soon widely vaccinate, an official from the provincial Centre for Disease Control said. — VNS