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Rabid dogs kill 78 in Bali
Rabies grips tourist paradise



A dog is caught in a net as it waits for rabies vaccination in Pararean, Bali
A rabies epidemic has gripped Bali, an island of three million people and one of Asia's top tourist destinations. Seventy-eight deaths have officially been logged in the past two years, including that of a 40-year-old woman a week ago, and many other deaths have likely gone unreported. The Indonesian government says it is overwhelmed, with more than 30,000 dog bites reported in just the first half of this year across Bali.



A member of the nonprofit Bali Animal Welfare Association catching a feral dog in a net to receive a rabies vaccination
In a highly criticised move, officials killed about 200,000 dogs, instead of initially conducting mass vaccinations as recommended by the World Health Organisation. "We have a serious problem with the anti-rabies vaccine for humans ... we are very short of treatment across the island," said Nyoman Sutedja, chief of Bali's provincial health ministry, who expects all stocks to run out by next month.

"We need help." Hospitals across Bali have faced periodic shortages of free post-exposure vaccines since the outbreak began, leaving poor residents with few options. The shots remain available at pharmacies, but many Balinese cannot afford them.

"The sad part is they get to the hospital and they get turned away because they don't have any vaccines," said Janice Girardi, an American who runs the nonprofit Bali Animal Welfare Association, which has vaccinated 45,000 dogs and recently received funding to conduct an islandwide campaign.

"Then they go home and die." Several countries, including the United States and Australia, have issued travel warnings advising vacationers to consider getting pre-exposure rabies vaccinations before arriving and to avoid contact with dogs while in Bali.

A handful of foreign tourists have reported dog bites, but none have been fatal. Shots given immediately after contact with saliva from a rabid animal can easily prevent death. But once symptoms appear, treatment is useless.

Source: AP
Published August 2 2010

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--PHOTO: AP




A dog is caught in a net as it waits for rabies vaccination in Pararean, Bali, Indonesia. --PHOTO: AP




A Balinese volunteer and a government official prepare to give rabies vaccination to a dog in Pararean, Bali. --PHOTO: AP




A government official gives rabies vaccination to a dog in Pararean, Bali. --PHOTO: AP

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Dr. Rico Azrenra, a veterinarian at the nonprofit Bali Animal Welfare Association gives a rabies shot to a puppy
held by Kadek Wirayani, 8, in Kebon Kaja village, Bangli Regency in Bali. --PHOTO: AP




Putu Agus Parwata, 11, displays the wound left one week after he was
bitten by a rabid dog in Nusamara village, Jembrana, Bali. --PHOTO: AP




This photo shows a portrait of Putu Valentino Rosiadi, 8, who died on July 4 two months after being bitten by a dog, at his house in Yeh Sumbul village, Jembrana, Bali island, Indonesia. His Father, Komang Suda, 32, believes his son died of rabies, even though he was never diagnosed as having the disease. --PHOTO: AP