From nzherald.com.nz By Roger Maynard 4:00 AM Monday Jul 5, 2010

Not long ago Bali's dog population was nudging a million, but neutering has helped to halve that number. Photo / Getty ImagesIn the deeply held beliefs of Bali's Hindu society, dogs hold a dubious role in the hereafter.

Humans who lead a less than perfect life are destined for a canine reincarnation. And in Bali, where nearly half a million stray and mangey dogs scavenge for food, that is not a pleasant thought.

Bali's dog population is facing a new crisis which is posing an equal threat to humans. In recent days, two people have died from an outbreak of rabies on the island, bringing the death toll to 65 since the first case was reported in 2008.

At Bali's Sanglah Hospital they deal with about 300 dog bites a day. Each victim is given an anti-rabies injection, which is placing a strain on vaccine stocks and resources.

In the countryside, local people bitten by a suspect dog cannot always afford the treatment. The vaccine should be free, but some doctors demand an administrative charge which can add up to nearly $80 for the full treatment. In a society where the average wage is little more than $65 a month, many bite victims prefer to take a chance.

So far, the disease has not affected tourist numbers which have climbed steadily. This year more than 2.5 million holidaymakers are expected to sample Bali's resorts.

Yet they will never be far from the poverty that envelops the island. Nor will they be far from the dogs that often roam the beaches, towns and villages in packs.

While most of these dogs are rabies-free, they are best avoided, though that is often difficult on the wide sands of Kuta Beach or the upmarket precinct of Seminyak, where tourists tan themselves, sip cocktails or browse the market stalls. The dogs are everywhere.

Balinese authorities have launched a door-to-door information campaign aimed at educating dog owners about the growing risk posed by the disease, and the need to vaccinate pets.

In the island's capital, Denpasar, rabies is now regarded as endemic, and only one of the island's nine administrative districts is free of the disease.

The official in charge of the new campaign, I Dewa Made Ngurah, told the Bali Times: "We will intensify our own efforts in Denpasar to control the spread of the disease."

The central issue facing the authorities is whether to cull or vaccinate. A 25-man team has been formed to handle the killing of any dogs suspected of having the disease, but this has angered animal welfare agencies.

Not long ago Bali's dog population was nudging a million, but neutering has helped to halve that number.

Janine Giraldi, founder of the Bali Animal Welfare Association, points to the tourist area of Ubud, a favourite spot for artists, as proof that vaccination works.

Her team vaccinated about 80 per cent of dogs in the area, which led to a 50 per cent fall in bite cases.

- INDEPENDENT

By Roger Maynard

Bali Rabies Epidemic
Mar 22nd, 2010, in News & Issues, by ET   http://www.indonesiamatters.com

Mangy, bite-happy stray dogs on Bali and an outbreak of rabies have authorities scrambling.


Besides the omnipresent scattered waste Bali now also has to deal with the problem of rabies infections which, aggravated by the indisciplined and negligent mindset of many Balinese who still let their dogs roam the streets, continue to mount on the resort island.

The local newspaper Radar Bali reports that deaths attributed to the disease are also mounting in the face of the depletion of emergency government funds allocated to fight rabies. In the light of the worsening situation, Governor Made Mangku Pastika on February 23, 2010, convened those delegated with fighting rabies in Bali for a meeting.

In attendance were representatives from the Bali Department of Health dealing with communicable disease, environmental health officials and representatives from Bali's main general hospital. Following that meeting, the officials told the press that Bali was still in an 'extraordinary situation' in its confrontation with rabies, made worse by the high rates of dog bites being reported to the authorities every day.

Bali's main general hospital at Sanglah is reporting a daily rate of 60 dog bites, with other satellite general hospitals across the island treating an average of between 25-30 cases a day. Authorities estimate around 85 dog bites are taking place island-wide on a daily basis. Since November 2008, a total of 31,000 dog bite injuries have occurred in Bali with 28,000 people being given anti-rabies serum. The current count estimates that there have been 59 cases of rabies of which 28 have been clinically confirmed as resulting from the disease.

Fearful of a further spread of the disease, disease control authorities have renewed their calls for the elimination of stray dogs in Bali. Dr. Ken Wirasandi of the Sanglah General Hospital, who serves the Secretary of the hospital's rabies control center, confirms that rabies has now spread to almost every regency and metropolitan center in Bali:

Klungkung which was formerly said to be safe has now seen one patient from that area die at Sanglah hospital. The one area still free from rabies is the regency of Jembrana.

Rabies treatment must be commenced as quickly as possible after suffering a possibly contagious bite. Unfortunately, once clinical symptoms of rabies appear in a patient there is little that can be done medically to save the victim's life. There is also a growing problem securing a sufficient supply of anti-rabies serum to dog-bite victims.