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Published Date: 2011-09-23 17:27:22
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Rabies - Indonesia (12): (Bali) canine, human
Archive Number: 20110923.2881

RABIES - INDONESIA (12): (BALI) CANINE, HUMAN
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Fri 16 Sep 2011
Source: The Jakarta Post, Denpasar [edited]
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/09/16/rabies-still-a-threat-denpasar-and-gianyar.html

Rabies continues to be a risk in the resort island's capital,
Denpasar, and its neighboring regency Gianyar, underlining the
persistence of the deadly epidemic that has haunted Bali since late
2008. "Yes, the 2 regions still have an active status and we ask the
public not to transport dogs into or out of those regions," provincial
husbandry agency head I Putu Sumantra said.

The cited infection rate classification standard groups infected areas
into "very active", "active", "6 months", and "12 months", referring
to the time between reports of infections. Any area that has had a
case of rabies reported within a month is defined as "very active",
and a case within 3 months warrants an "active".

"In the last 3 months we have found rabies in dogs in those 2
regions," Sumantra said. He said that 22 villages in Badung, Buleleng,
Jembrana, Karangasem, and Klungkung were now listed as "6 months". The
only regency listed as "12 months" is Tabanan.

The fight against the epidemic is apparently far from over. Sumantra
revealed that this year [2011] rabies has infected 18 new villages,
bringing the total number of infected villages to 282. "We have set a
target that by early next year [2012] the epidemic will not be able to
infect a single new village," he said.

Provincial health agency head I Nyoman Sutedja said that as of August
[2011], the epidemic had killed 18 people, far less than last year,
when 86 people died of rabies.

"The number of bite cases is still very high; up to 150 cases per day.
Yet, most of the bites do not result in fatalities because a large
number of the dogs have been inoculated and the bite victims have
managed to immediately get proper medical treatment, including
antirabies vaccines," he said.

As of 12 Sep 2011, the 2nd phase of the island-wide mass vaccination
program, targeting pet and stray dogs, has covered 4350 banjar
(traditional neighborhood organizations) or 99 percent of the targeted
4370 banjar.

The agency estimated that 77 percent of the island's total dog
population of 302 000 had been inoculated.

[Byline: Luh De Suriyani]

--
Communicated by:
Merritt Clifton
Editor, Animal People
PO Box 960
Clinton, WA 98236
USA
<anmlpepl@whidbey.com>
http://www.animalpeoplenews.org

[Merritt Clifton has added, "In addition to the 18 officially
recognized rabies deaths thus far in 2011, and the 86 in 2010, there
were 29 in 2008-2009, and then there are the additional several dozen
suspected cases, involving people who died at home in the hills,
instead of in hospitals. Altogether, the death toll from the outbreak
is probably upward of 150, and maybe upward of 160, with not much
likelihood of ever being able to pin it down with precision."

Undoubtedly some progress is being made, but the message is that: "The
fight against the epidemic is apparently far from over." Travellers
beware.

The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Bali can be accessed at
http://healthmap.org/r/01iN. - Mod.CP]

See Also