(5/29/2010)
The provincial government of Bali is considering introducing mass vaccination for cats after initial reports of a rabies death in Buleleng, North Bali, tied to a young girl bitten by a cat. Follow-up reports, however, have discounted those reports, linking the death to a non-rabies-related infection of the brain.
Bertiabali.com quotes the spokesman of the Bali provincial government, Ketut Teneng, who says that if clinical studied find that rabies have infected domestic cats then local authorities would have to weigh the merits of exterminating stray cats and vaccinating those kept as pets.
Teneng said such measure might become necessary for Bali to meet its goal of becoming rabies free by 2012.
The Bali spokesman said what matters most at the present time is for the general population to understand the importance of providing the proper care to household pets, such as dogs, cats and monkeys.
Reviewing government efforts to date, Teneng said 280,000 dogs have been vaccinated in Bali and 78,000 stray dogs have been exterminated. He also revealed that since the outbreak of rabies began in Bali in late 2009 there have been an estimated 44,000 dog bite incidents. Those who have died following dog bite in Bali is put at 57 people, 26 of which were clinically shown to have died due to rabies.
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[Does Bali's Rabies Vectors Now Include Cats?]
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