Dog Vaccination Needed to Control Rabies in Bali

Dog vaccination programme urgently needed to control rabies in Bali

WSPA offers support to new Head of Animal Husbandry to introduce humane, effective alternative to culling

The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and the Bali Animal Welfare Association (BAWA) have renewed their offer of support and training for the Bali Administration to help introduce a humane dog vaccination programme to control the spread of rabies on the island.

The death toll of at least 30 people in just over a year in Bali is rooted in a lack of information and understanding about how to limit rabies transmission and effective wound management, plus the unavailability of treatments. Supplies of rabies vaccines for people bitten by suspect dogs were exhausted last week in local hospitals across the island. Although hopefully a temporary situation, it may be too late for some people already needing this life-saving treatment.

The decision made by the previous Administration to waste time and resource on culling, rather than mass vaccination of dogs, has failed to control the disease and caused considerable animal suffering. To date almost 50,000 dogs have been killed by strychnine – a method of killing considered unacceptable by the international community, including the OIE.

In contrast, animal vaccination programmes are internationally recognised and documented as the most effective form of rabies prevention and eradication. At least 70% of the dog population needs to be vaccinated to achieve control.

Dr Elly Hiby, Head of Companion Animals at WSPA, comments: “WSPA has funded an intensive vaccination drive, conducted by BAWA in Gianyar province. This is a working example of what is possible in Bali. Aus Aid and ACIAR have also donated funds to support Bali to eradicate rabies, including the purchase of another 150,000 doses of long-acting animal vaccine. When added to what is already available, this makes vaccination of 70% of the dog population on Bali a very realistic target.”

BAWA has received funding from WSPA to vaccinate 70% of Gianyar's estimated 65,000 dogs in 512 banjars, to protect the local people and show that vaccination alone is an effective alternative. The response from the people in the banjars has been overwhelmingly positive as compared to the angry protests to culling in other areas of the island.

BAWA is also addressing the misconception that stray dogs on the island are ‘wild’ and cannot be handled. In a typical Bali banjar, 95% of the dogs seen roaming along the streets are actually owned and valued by the people, but are not confined. Dr Hiby adds: “The owners may not be able to walk their dogs on a lead to the other side of the village, but if you bring the vaccine to their gateway they can handle their dogs while they are vaccinated. For those dogs that are more difficult to handle, dog handlers with nets can safely constrain the dogs for vaccination. This has been shown to be true many times over by the BAWA teams in Gianyar.”

WSPA is calling on the Bali Administration to act now to avoid an escalation of the problem. Dr Hiby says: “The inauguration of the new Head of Animal Husbandry, Dr Putu Sumantra, offers the opportunity for swift action through vaccination that will reduce the risk to human life and ensure animal welfare.”

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