Indo (culling and rabies)

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The Jakarta Post Thursday, April 16, 2009 *9:17 AM* Letters: Does culling

have scientific proof?

 

Sat, 04/11/2009 1:43 PM | Reader's Forum

 

When the government decided to cull dogs in an effort to eradicate rabies,

where did they source the scientific evidence that this method in fact

worked?

 

I am particularly interested to know because based on my research, there are

no reports to suggest culling is effective in stopping the spread of rabies.

 

 

Did anybody care to mention that stray dogs actually play an important role

in controlling rabies? If they are vaccinated properly, they help create a

barrier against stray dogs coming into their territory and can in turn stop

rabies from spreading.

 

If you launch a culling program, how sure are you that those remaining dogs

are rabies-free or immunized against the virus if vaccination programs are

not reaching the minimum 70% of the dog population here? Dogs kept inside

houses will not be able to assist in this natural order for preventing

rabies outbreaks.

 

Foreigners come to Bali because they like to experience nature. They take

photos of water buffalo, monkeys, chickens, various animals and even dogs.

Of course they would like to see healthier dogs, but understand the

situation. What is needed is education for the local people to learn how to

take care for their dogs, cats, and other animals and not simply kill them

off. Other species, including cats, rabbits, monkeys and bats also carry

rabies.

 

Will the government also kill them all off? Without an island-wide

vaccination program targeting 70 percent of all dogs and cats, Bali will

never be rabies-free. If education and sterilization programs were

supported, then vaccination programs would be the perfect solution to the

problem. Vaccination is the only way to eradicate rabies. Animal

birth-control programs and education is also a positive step. Bali is at

risk of losing its good image if the authorities continue culling the

healthy stray dogs.

 

If the government receives complaints from tourists, why not work together

with NGOs to solve the problem. Dogs could be de-sexed, fed and even moved

to a safe location. Anything but killing them. The law of nature states that

humans and animals live side by side in harmony. Let's not have another

situation like with the Bali Starling, which is now facing extinction.

 

Tineke

Denpasar

 

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Be sensitive when culling, official say

 

*Wasti Atmodjo* , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar | Mon, 03/02/2009 2:18

PM | Bali

 

Officials launching mass culls of dogs have been told to be more sensitive

to avoid being viewed in a negative light by visiting overseas tourists,

Denpasar Tourism Agency head Putu Budiasa said Friday.

 

The Denpasar Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Agency is currently raising its

efforts to curb the spread of the rabies virus through the culling of stray

dogs, in addition to vaccinating pet dogs and awareness-raising efforts.

 

" The officials conducting the culls should be more sensitive, as most

foreign tourists are animal lovers, " Budiasa said.

 

" The elimination program has to be done when there are not many people

watching, or at least avoid doing it where tourists usually gather, like

Sanur Beach. "

 

He added the agency had not yet received any protests or written statements

condemning the city administration's decision to cull dogs suspected of

rabies.

 

While the culling program has been protested by animal welfare NGOs, Budiasa

was the first city official to sound the alarm over the program.

 

Budiasa also said it was necessary to coordinate with the public or local

businesspeople on when and where officials could conduct the culls without

bothering tourists, and to put up signs explaining that a cull may be

conducted in certain areas.

 

In addition to being declared as rabies-infected area, Denpasar is also

suffering from bird flu, despite various efforts such as spraying markets

with disinfectant.

 

Budiasa also urged sensitivity in the culling of strays.

 

" Don't drag them around over long distances in a vulgar state without

covering them up, especially when there are cameras around, " he said.

 

" That will affect reports in the media and arouse opinions of sadism and

other negative opinions. "

 

He said officials should cover dogs that were culled, immediately putting

them inside the vehicles.

 

" The dog carcasses should not be placed in an open place, they should be

covered, " he said.

 

" How would you feel if you saw dog carcasses lying all around you? You would

at least cringe or start to ask yourself questions.

 

" Especially if you're a guest who doesn't know why the cull is being done in

the first place. "

 

Budiasa also said he would talk to the animal husbandry and fisheries agency

about the issue, quickly adding his agency supported the culling program.

 

" Other than that, we fully support the depopulation program. It will reduce

the number of stray dogs walking the streets and the beaches, " he said.

 

" Having too many stray dogs can be bothersome. "

 

In response, Denpasar Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Agency head Dewa Made

Ngurah said he would follow up on Budiasa's concerns.

 

" I'll talk about it with the rabies task force coordinators, " Ngurah said.

 

He reiterated the task force had always talked to locals before conducting

the elimination program, adding the task force would continue to prioritize

requests for dog eliminations from these locals.

 

Earlier, head of the Bali Animal Husbandry Agency, IB Ketut Alit has said

the culls were just one effort in addition to awareness-raising and

vaccination, adding his office had received many complaints from abroad.

 

" *Foreigners* do not understand there are so many stray dogs roaming Bali.

Many owners also do not take proper care of their dogs. "

**

*Comments (2)* | Post

comment<http://www.thejakartapost.com/comment/reply/201753#comment-form>

 

 

Lori (not verified) — Tue, 04/07/2009 - 10:39am

 

One aspect of this story is right: many foreign tourists are animal lovers.

What wasn't acknowledged is that this barbaric culling exercise will affect

the travel plans of many of them. It's heartbreaking to think of the number

of healthy, vaccinated dogs that are being killed for no reason. This

inhumane response will cost Bali dearly in tourism. Only a methodical

vaccination program will address the rabies problem and restore Bali's

status as a happy vacation spot.

 

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Health agency says difficult to locate bite victims

 

*Luh De Suriyani* , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar | Sat, 04/11/2009 1:43

PM | Bali

 

The Badung Health Agency says it is difficult to locate individuals who had

been bitten by dogs but not yet inoculated with a rabies vaccine (VAR) or

have not received the complete VAR regiment.

 

The agency has so far managed to identify 14 people in South Kuta district,

the epicenter of the island's rabies outbreak, but has yet to locate them.

 

The need to find them has been spurred by the recent death of a 75-year-old

woman, Ni Ketut Muki, last Saturday at Sanglah General Hospital, the primary

rabies referral and treatment facility on the island.

 

She had displayed clinical symptoms of rabies, including aversion to light

and water. She had been bitten by a stray dog six months earlier, and had

never taken a VAR injection.

 

Several suspected rabies patients had died previously at Sanglah, with the

same underlying factor as in Muki's case: They all had been bitten by dogs

several months earlier.

 

The local administration did not officially declare the area a rabies-prone

area until late November 2008. By that time, many people had been bitten by

dogs and had not gotten a chance to receive proper post-exposure rabies

treatment.

 

" It's difficult to locate these individuals because the health clinics and

hospitals did not record the full details of the victims' identities and

addresses, " head of the agency's observation and prevention unit, I Ketut

Suwi Adnyana, said Wednesday.

 

The agency recently organized a meeting with representatives from all

private hospitals in Badung at the Kuta I community health center

(puskesmas).

 

At the gathering, Suwi asked the heads of clinics, hospitals and villages to

record the details of dog-bite victims.

 

" If necessary, we will visit the victims' homes to inoculate them with the

VAR, " he said.

 

Once the agency's personnel have managed to locate a victim, they will check

whether VAR has been administered. In many cases, victims only receive a

first dose of VAR and then discontinue the treatment.

 

The complete post-exposure treatment comprises two inoculations in the first

VAR, one inoculation in the second VAR and another in the third VAR.

 

" If two weeks have passed since the first VAR *and the victims have not got

the second or third VAR*, then we must repeat the first VAR before giving

them the second VAR seven days later and the third VAR 21 days later, " he

said.

 

He added that in April, the agency had so far recorded five new dog-bite

cases. However, he went on, the data was based on the records from the eight

state-run rabies centers.

 

" We can't identify the victims who didn't come to a rabies center for

treatment, " he said.

 

The eight centers are Sanglah Hospital, Wangaya General Hospital and six

community health centers in Pecatu, Ungasan, Kuta 1, Kuta 2, South Kuta and

South Denpasar.

 

Sanglah Hospital's rabies mitigation team head Prof. Dr. Raka Sudewi said

locating dog-bite victims was necessary and a critical factor in containing

the outbreak.

 

" The only way to decrease the number of rabies victims is by implementing

effective prevention measures. Antiviral medication that can heal a

rabies-infected person has yet to be available, " he warned.

 

As many as nine suspected rabies patients have died since the start of the

outbreak in the island.