Rabies kills five people in Bengkulu

Rabies kills five people in Bengkulu

BENGKULU (JP): The provincial health office recorded 300 cases of dog-bites between January and September 1994 and estimated the overall number for last year could be 600.

Five of the victims were infected with rabies and have since died, and 225 were given anti-rabies vaccines, head of the office Bachtiar Karatu was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying.

Bachtiar said many dog owners in the area were reluctant to file a report when their dog bit someone and instead would kill their dog if they knew it had bitten a person.

They were also reluctant to register their dogs at the local animal husbandry office, probably because they were afraid of being fined, Bachtiar said, adding that this made it difficult to detect the actual number of cases and the number of dogs with rabies. (pwn)