Hanoi warns of risk of rabies outbreak
VOV.VN - Rabies cases have been detected and are on the rise in Hanoi, posing a high risk of further outbreaks in the coming time, according to warnings made by the municipal Department of Health.
As of October 23, Vietnam had recorded a total of 51 rabies cases, 42 cases higher compared to the same period from last year. Of the figure, the number of human rabies cases across 11 northern cities and provinces stood at 15, accounting for 29.4% of the country’ total figure.
According to details given by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Hanoi, the capital city has so far recorded two fatal rabies cases, including a 50-year-old man who slaughtered two dogs in Me Linh district and a person who was bitten by a dog in Phu Xuyen district. Notably, both of the individuals had not received a rabies vaccine.
According to the Ministry of Health, rabies is mainly transmitted through biting or scratching, or alternatively through the lick of a rabid animal. The disease can be prevented and treated with a rabies vaccination or anti-rabies serum.
Rabies symptoms typically include fear of water and wind, convulsions, and paralysis. Once a rabies attack occurs, the mortality rate is almost 100% for both humans and animals.
Due to this high level of risk, CDC Hanoi has requested that relevant agencies keep a close watch on people who are bitten by dogs and cats suspected of being infected with the deadly disease.
Moreover, they have been assigned to call on residents to come to medical centres for check-ups, consultations, and vaccination against rabies.
Owners of dogs and cats should be equipped with measures aimed at ensuring safety for others in public places in a bid to prevent their pets from biting other people. They should therefore be fully educated on the benefits of vaccinating their pets against the disease.