Rabies fear

Originated from subjectivity

The latest case of death from rabies in Hai Duong is Mr. VVT (49 years old, in Tan Truong village, Le Loi commune, Chi Linh). Nearly 3 months ago, Mr. T. was bitten on the palm of his hand by a strange dog that came into his house from the street. Although he was bitten by the dog, he did not get a rabies vaccination. If Mr. T. had not been subjective, he probably would not have lost his life and left his loved ones living in pain.

From 2016 to now, Hai Duong has recorded 6 deaths due to rabies after being bitten by dogs, of which 4 were in Chi Linh City. Master Cao Xuan An, Head of the Department of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control of the Provincial Center for Disease Control, informed: "All of these cases did not receive serum combined with rabies vaccine after being bitten by a dog. Some people sought treatment from traditional healers but still could not avoid death," Mr. An informed.

The deaths from rabies mentioned above are primarily due to the subjectivity of the people bitten by dogs. More broadly, it also originates from the dog owners and local authorities. If the owners did not let their dogs roam free and only let them out of the house with muzzles, would they still bite people? If the local authorities took their responsibilities in managing dogs and cats and preventing rabies seriously, would the consequences be so heartbreaking?

According to regulations, dog and cat owners are responsible for registering and reporting to the commune-level authorities, committing to keeping dogs and cats within the family premises. Leash, muzzle, and have someone lead the dog when taking it out of the house to prevent it from biting others. Violations will be handled according to regulations...

However, letting dogs roam freely on the streets is still quite common from urban to rural areas. "In just a short time, a stray dog ​​of a household in my neighborhood bit two people, including my son. A few weeks ago, a pregnant woman near my house was also bitten on the calf by a stray dog ​​at the district market and had to get vaccinated. I am very worried because I encounter stray dogs almost every day when I go for a walk on the streets," said Ms. HTN in Nam Sach.

According to regulations, local authorities are responsible for managing the number of households raising dogs and cats, and keeping a close eye on the number of pets. Based on the actual situation, establish teams to catch stray dogs and cats, dogs without muzzles, dogs suspected of having rabies, and force dogs and cats to get rabies vaccinations. Strictly handle administrative violations in the management of raising dogs and cats, and failure to vaccinate dogs and cats against rabies according to the law...

Reality check in many places shows that local authorities have only focused on directing vaccination, while raising awareness and consciousness in rabies prevention among the people is still limited and not regular. In particular, there is almost no punishment for letting dogs roam free. An anonymous veterinarian admitted: "Many dog ​​and cat owners do not declare, and give many reasons for not vaccinating their dogs and cats against rabies. Handling violations is even more difficult because of the ties of kinship and neighborhood ties."

Responsibilities of the leader

In the first 6 months of this year, the country recorded 39 deaths from rabies, an increase of 40% compared to the same period in 2023. In Hai Duong, in the first 5 months of the year, 635 people attacked by dogs and cats came to medical facilities to get anti-rabies serum and vaccine, an increase of 120 people compared to the same period in 2023.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hai Duong regularly direct and guide the implementation of rabies prevention measures. They emphasize the importance of increasing the vaccination rate for dogs and cats and require local authorities and heads of government to seriously carry out their assigned responsibilities.

In Hung Long Commune (Ninh Giang), dogs are rarely seen roaming the streets. Propaganda work to educate people about vaccinating dogs and cats and preventing rabies is organized regularly and continuously through many forms. Mr. Bui Trac Nghien, Chairman of Hung Long Commune People's Committee, shared: "On the way to work or going to the villages, if I see a dog roaming, I will immediately remind the people. People's awareness has improved a lot."

Mr. Nguyen Van Xuan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Toan Thang Commune (Gia Loc) also spent time with veterinary staff going to the grassroots to propagate and mobilize some households that have not vaccinated their dogs and cats to strictly follow the regulations. He requested departments, organizations, and villages to step up propaganda on rabies prevention. Where people do not understand or are still subjective, he will directly go down to propagate and mobilize people.

If the heads of local authorities promote high responsibility like in the two localities above, then surely rabies prevention in Hai Duong in the coming time will have positive changes.