Gia Lai man dies of rabies after being bitten by family dog
VOV.VN - A 51-year-old man residing in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai has died of rabies after being bitten by his family’s dog a month ago, the Gia Lai Center for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed on August 8.
The man was identified as Dem of O Dat village Ia Bang commune in Dak Doa district.
According to details provided by Gia Lai CDC, Dem was not vaccinated against rabies after being bitten by the dog in early July.
Following the accident, his family had the dog put down. On August 7 he started showing signs of a fever and developed rabies symptoms such as fatigue and fear of water, wind, and light.
His family immediately took him to the province's general hospital where he tested positive for the rabies virus. Although doctors briefed the family on the severity of Dem’s health conditions, they still decided to ask for the doctors’ permission to bring him home, where he ultimately passed away the next day.
This marks the 15th person who has succumbed to rabies in the upland province this year.
Local authorities confirmed that there have been a total of 11 people exposed to the rabies virus. Of them, two people are at very high risk as they directly slaughtered the dog, while the others came into close contact with the victim.
Currently, they are in stable health condition. Health experts have asked them to get vaccinated against rabies immediately.
To cope with the rising number of rabies cases, the health authorities in Gia Lai ramped up efforts to raise public awareness about the fatal disease and called on people to get rabies vaccine shots in the event they are bitten, scratched, or come into contact with dogs which possibly have rabies.
Dog owners should also keep their animals leashed and muzzled, as well as periodically getting them vaccinated against rabies. Experts stressed that there is no treatment for rabies. Once rabies sets in an animal or human, the disease is 100% fatal.
