The Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) reported on April 22 that the city’s infectious disease surveillance system recorded a dog attack in Phuoc Thang ward on April 17 that left three people injured.

The victims were instructed on proper wound care and promptly received rabies vaccinations. Their conditions are stable.

Epidemiological data show a concerning trend. From the beginning of the year to April 20, the city recorded three rabies deaths, compared with five cases for the whole of 2025, indicating a clear increase within a short period.

Medical experts said the current intense heat creates favorable conditions for the rabies virus to develop and spread, making this a peak period for the disease. If transmission from animals is not well controlled, an outbreak risk is present.

In response, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has issued a directive to intensify rabies prevention and control. Following this, HCDC has drawn up a coordinated plan with the Sub-Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine to implement epidemiological surveillance, public communication and outbreak handling measures.

Rabies is an acute viral infectious disease transmitted from animals to humans, mainly through bites, scratches, or contact with saliva from infected animals, HCDC said. Once symptoms develop, the fatality rate is nearly 100%, making early prevention and timely treatment decisive.

To reduce infection risks, the health sector urges residents to strictly follow the “five no’s” in raising dogs and cats: not keeping unvaccinated animals; not keeping animals without declaring them to local authorities; not letting animals roam freely; not allowing dogs to bite people; and not keeping animals in ways that pollute the environment.

High-risk groups, including veterinary workers, laboratory staff, dog slaughter workers, and people living in or traveling to rabies-affected areas, should proactively receive preventive vaccination.

Doctors also stress that anyone bitten or exposed to suspected rabid animals must act immediately. Wounds should be washed thoroughly under running water with soap for at least 15 minutes to remove the virus, then disinfected with alcohol or iodine solution.

People exposed must quickly go to medical facilities for consultation and vaccination, or rabies immunoglobulin if necessary. Delays or the use of unverified folk remedies can cost lives.

Rabies remains a serious threat in Vietnam, warns expert

VOV.VN - Rabies is considered one of the most dangerous infectious diseases, with almost no chance of survival once symptoms appear.