WHO Carries Out Assessment of Rabies Outbreak

June 13, 2011

DENPASAR

The World Health Organisation (WHO) in cooperation with the Animal Health Directorate, Directorate General of Animal Husbandry and Animal Health and Denpasar Veterinary Office, has conducted epidemiological studies of the rabies outbreak in Bali.

“The study is connected with antibody response of dogs that have been vaccinated in Bali, except Nusa Penida, a separate island in Karangasem district,” Bali administration I Ketut Teneng said on Tuesday.

He said the study result indicated that dogs antibody was still low, namely 41.88 percent of 1,354 samples in laboratory tests, and protective ones were only 567 samples.

According to Ketut Teneng, an audit result from an integrated team against rabies vaccine cold chain storage of the available amount recommended was only 50 percent.

Therefore, Bali’s rabies team and the Agriculture Ministry’s Directorate of Health agreed to implement phase two of a mass rabies vaccination across the island.

Teneng said the second phase of rabies vaccination was conducted in three districts – Bangli, Klungkung and Jembrana – from May 25 and would be continued in five other areas – Badung, Karangasem, Buleleng, Tabanan and Denpasar – starting on June 11 and then in July in Gianyar.

The vaccination will be done on all domestic dogs until August or September this year.

Teneng said the first phase of vaccination of 80 percent of the dogs in Bali was conducted from October 2010 to March 2011.

Since rabies broke out in southern areas of Bali in late 2010, around 120 people have died from the virus.


(according to the Bali Times)