Mê Thú Cưng - Pet Magazine for Vietnam Native Dogs in Vietnam Issue | Page 75

Expats Pet Owner’s Guide for Vietnam
The persistent danger of Rabies
Make sure you are vaccinated, your pets are! Aren’t they?
At the recent Vietnam Animal Welfare Conference,
Oct 2016, an annual event promoting animal (pets,
farm animals and wildlife) protection movement, Dr.
Phan Xuan Thao, Director at the HCMC Department
of Animal Heath, presented a poignant reminder
of the persistent danger of contracting Rabies in
Vietnam. Rabies is a virus transmitted through the
saliva of an animal that causes acute encephalitis
(inflammation of the brain) and is fatal if not detected
and treated immediately. Although the majority of
Rabies cases are reported from rural areas, urban
Saigon is not completely immune, where only
Districts 1, 3, 4 and 5 are considered Rabies free.
Puppy and Kitten Rabies Vaccinations
Puppies from properly vaccinated mothers receive
maternal antibodies against rabies for their first 3
months, therefore it is recommended to vaccinate a
dog at 3 months, again at 9 months and revaccinate
annually or at least every 3 years.
It is recommended to keep your ‘Pet Health Passport’
current and available as representatives of the HCMC
Department of Animal Health make random checks
on households throughout Saigon to check if your
dog and cat are vaccinated.
Startlingly statistics recently reported by the
Department of Preventive Medicine and the Ministry
of Health highlight the gravity of the situation where
400,000 people are bitten by cats, dogs and other
animals annually in Vietnam, and to date, 49 people
have died from Rabies in 2016.
A factor in the spread of rabies is the overpopulation
of cats and dogs created by the demands of the dog
meat trade through the smuggling and trafficking
of mostly unvaccinated dogs into Vietnam from
neighboring countries. A few unvaccinated dogs
may escape their captors and run with other stray
dogs that might be carriers of the virus. Dr. Thao
mentioned that stray dogs are very hard to track and
manage especially in suburban and rural areas where
the trafficking of stolen dogs takes place.
High risk groups
Rabies can be transmitted by dogs, cats, bats, and
other domestic and wild animals in Vietnam. The
Department of Animal Health in HCMC recommends
vaccinations for the following groups:
All long-term stay Expats with dogs that ‘socialize’
with other dog owner’s in public spaces and may
walk their dogs in rural areas off leash
Frequent travelers to Vietnam involved in outdoor and
other recreational activities such as camping, hiking,
biking, adventure travel and caving, especially in the
Northern Highlands regions.
Individuals who are in direct contact and working
with animals such as veterinarians / staff and
especially animal rescue volunteers.
Also, beware of the issues in the storage and
handling of Rabies vaccines by local Veterinarians.
Rabies vacancies must be refrigerated and
maintained at temperatures ranging from 35-45°F
(2-7°C). Temperatures higher or lower than this
range can result in the death of the living vaccine
organisms, leaving the product ineffective.
Rabies also play a critical role in leaving Vietnam
with your pets. Since Vietnam is designated a
High-Risk Rabies country and no matter what your
destination you have to have your cat or dog tested
for Rabies at your cost.
Do you need a Rabies Vaccination?
All children must be vaccinated as they have a
natural tendency to play with neighborhood stray
dogs . They might not tell you that they were bitten,
scratched or licked from possible unvaccinated dogs
and cats that may have rabies.
If you had a Rabies vaccination before coming to
Vietnam as a result of following travel advisory advice
(Pre-exposure vaccinations), then the effectiveness of
a Rabies vaccination is about 10 years or more. If this
is all new to you and never considered Rabies please
arrange to get a vaccination immediately. It just takes
one sudden bite and never assume that all dogs you
encounter are vaccinated.
Mê Thú Cưng | Volume 01 2017 | methucung.vn
75