Health Information Center – CedrikaProvencher

Although human fatalities from dog bites are infected with rabies in the island of Bali continues to increase, prevention of rabies by the government has not done seriously. Apart from the increasing casualties, it also reflected the spread of rabies infected area.

Working together central and local governments have not unified. According to the Chairman of the Executive Board of the Association of Indonesian Veterinarian Wiwiek Bagja drh, Wednesday (3/1/2010) in Jakarta, there must be good faith of the central and local governments to tackle rabies together.

Cooperation should be unified antarkementerian in the drafting and implementation on the ground. So also between central and local government that has so far not been unified.

“Who should be responsible in the prevention of rabies, until now not yet clear,” he said. So is how to progress through his actions, how to budget, and how the handling mechanism is still not firm.

“Sources have rabies disease in animals. Therefore, priority should be the response in animals infected with rabies is not on humans, “he said.

Drh Mangku Sitepu, members of the Indonesian Veterinary Association (PDHI) and also a member of the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI), states, yet there is harmony between the implementation of rabies prevention and local governments. In fact, Animal Husbandry Department felt that if the dog does not concern him because they only look after the cattle. “Then who deal with dogs,” he said.

Ever since the Dutch period, divided into two rabies treatment. To be submitted to human public health institutions, as for the dog to the vet handed. “Now all the care of humans, who take care of her animals. In fact, it was a source of contagion, “he said.

Mangku states, vaccination of dogs should be done continuously for infectious diseases. After vaccination, the six-month intervals and then vaccinated again.

According to him, the dog’s vaccination is far cheaper than to men. Vaccines for dogs can be produced in the country, as for humans to still be imported. “Priority perform simultaneous elimination of a controlled vaccination, not on humans,” he said.

Victims of rabies in Bali continue to fall. The high number of dog bites in Bali membengkaknya complicate handling costs as well. Up to happen in December 2009 recorded 16,680 cases of dog bites to humans.

Fourth-quarter since 2008 until the end of 2009, the funds spent on prevention of rabies Rp 22.2 billion. Funds from central government, provincial government, the city / district in Bali, as well as assistance from the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the World Health Organization (WHO).