Nong Khai teen eighth victim of rabies this year

[snoop1130]

Nong Khai teen eighth victim of rabies this year

By The Nation

 

 

A 15-year-old girl has died of rabies in Nong Khai, becoming the eighth victim of the deadly virus this year, a senior public health official said on Tuesday.

 

Dr Somchaichote Piyawatwela, the chief Nong Khai public health officer, said Pratthana Saetung had tested positive for rabies last week by the lab of the Public Health Ministry’s Medical Sciences Department.

 

She had been admitted to Nong Khai Hospital on April 19 and died at 2pm the following day.

 

The teenager was cremated on Saturday.

 

Somchaichote said his office had urged relatives and friends of the girl to receive rabies vaccine.

 

Following the girl’s death, livestock development officials of Nong Khai’s Mueang district dispatched officers to give rabies shots to dogs and cats in Ban Lao village, Tambon Haad Kham, which is where Pratthana had been living.

 

The girl’s aunt, Noomon Kenaphum, 68, said her niece had adopted a two-month-old puppy in December and was later scratched in the neck by the animal.

 

However, she declined an offer by her grandparents to take her to see a doctor because she said it was just a small scratch, Noomon said.

 

The girl lived with her grandparents, as her mother had passed away and her father worked in Bangkok.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30343859

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-4-24

[ThreeEyedRaven]

12 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

However, she declined an offer by her grandparents to take her to see a doctor because she said it was just a small scratch, Noomon said.

So sad that a simple tetanus injection would have prevented this from happening.

Even sadder that it was an act of love in taking in a puppy that caused it.

RIP young lady. I hope others will learn from the tragedy.

[wildewillie89]

A very sad story indeed, but with any hope something positive can come out of it. The awareness/education that any lick on an open wound, scratch or bite needs to be seen to by medical staff and how important animal vaccination is. I read one survey that found 60% of 11,369 Thai participants wrongly thought rabies could be cured, and additionally, 34% didn't know death was guaranteed. Also 60% of infected animals had owners. 

Vaccine companies still have not given many Tessabans their orders. They have now postponed releasing the vaccine until this May. All it takes is a few years of fake vaccines, budgets being redirected into other projects, and a lack of education and something that was getting close to some sort of control is starting to unwind. 

[GroveHillWanderer]

1 hour ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

So sad that a simple tetanus injection would have prevented this from happening.

Even sadder that it was an act of love in taking in a puppy that caused it.

RIP young lady. I hope others will learn from the tragedy.

A tetanus injection would not have stopped her dying from rabies. She would have needed the full course of one immunoglobulin and 4 rabies injections, preferably starting on the day she was infected and in any event, before she started showing clinical symptoms.

[GroveHillWanderer]

14 minutes ago, wildewillie89 said:

I read one survey that found 60% of 11,369 Thai participants wrongly thought rabies could be cured, and additionally, 34% didn't know death was guaranteed.

I'm not sure exactly how the questions in this survey were worded, but a person who has been infected with rabies can be successfully treated if the correct vaccinations are given quickly enough. Death is only guaranteed if the person is not treated before clinical symptoms appear.

[wildewillie89]

6 minutes ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

I'm not sure exactly how the questions in this survey were worded, but a person who has been infected with rabies can be successfully treated if the correct vaccinations are given quickly enough. Death is only guaranteed if the person is not treated before clinical symptoms appear.

I think if they 'wrongly' thought it could be cured, then the assumption must be made that the questions must have stated that symptoms were present. 

[oldlakey]

14 hours ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

So sad that a simple tetanus injection would have prevented this from happening.

Even sadder that it was an act of love in taking in a puppy that caused it.

RIP young lady. I hope others will learn from the tragedy.

She died of RABIES

You are the first who needs to learn

[hobobo]

14 hours ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

So sad that a simple tetanus injection would have prevented this from happening.

Even sadder that it was an act of love in taking in a puppy that caused it.

RIP young lady. I hope others will learn from the tragedy.

I never knew that a tetanus injection prevents rabies? On two occasions when I was bitten (once by a dog, and once by a bat), the doctors insisted I had a full course of anti-rabies vaccine, despite the fact that my tetanus was up to date. Was I conned?

[Moti24]

There's more Soi dogs than ever now where I live.  I can't walk more than 100m from the village without fending-off 6/7 dogs.

 

I had the course of 5 rabies jabs in February, 2011.  I was told that I was covered indefinitely, but I haven't seen any concrete proof that that is so.  Anybody have info regarding protection validity?  Protected or not, I'd would prefer not to be bitten again.

 

RiP to the poor girl.  Only 15, with her whole life in-front of her.  Must be a nasty way to go.

[Elkski]

So sad.  

RIP

We don't get rabbies training here in USA.   Just no stray dogs allowed except in the sticks.  

So the virus is on a dog's nails so a scratch is all it takes?  Or if they lick your face or open would?

This is a solvable problem.   Get off your ass little P man

[snowgard]

16 hours ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

So sad that a simple tetanus injection would have prevented this from happening.

Even sadder that it was an act of love in taking in a puppy that caused it.

RIP young lady. I hope others will learn from the tragedy.

Tetanus prevent against Rabies? 

[Krataiboy]

2 hours ago, hobobo said:

I never knew that a tetanus injection prevents rabies? On two occasions when I was bitten (once by a dog, and once by a bat), the doctors insisted I had a full course of anti-rabies vaccine, despite the fact that my tetanus was up to date. Was I conned?

Tetanus shots do not protect against rabies. If you get bitten or scratched by an animal you even suspect could be infected, have a course of rabies injections as soon as possible. Delaying a few days can mean the difference between life and a particularly unpleasant death.

[hobobo]

1 minute ago, Krataiboy said:

Tetanus shots do not protect against rabies. If you get bitten or scratched by an animal you even suspect could be infected, have a course of rabies injections as soon as possible. Delaying a few days can mean the difference between life and a particularly unpleasant death.

I know, I was just being sarcastic - hard to believe that there are still people who don't know that rabies IS guaranteed death unless you have a course of anti-rabies injections within 48 hours, or maximum 72 hours after exposure. The sooner the better!

[flexomike]

5 hours ago, hobobo said:

I never knew that a tetanus injection prevents rabies? On two occasions when I was bitten (once by a dog, and once by a bat), the doctors insisted I had a full course of anti-rabies vaccine, despite the fact that my tetanus was up to date. Was I conned?

no you were not tetanus shots do not prevent rabies, listen to the doctor he knows

[GroveHillWanderer]

 

18 hours ago, wildewillie89 said:

I think if they 'wrongly' thought it could be cured, then the assumption must be made that the questions must have stated that symptoms were present. 

I'm not sure why that assumption must be made - I've seen plenty of questionnaires with misleading questions or questions based on a false premise.

 

In any event, saying that people 'wrongly' thought rabies could be cured, without qualifying it by saying this is only true after clinical symptoms appear, still gives the misleading impression that rabies cannot ever be treated. I think it's important to point out that rabies can be successfully treated if the correct treatment is given in time, so that people know they must seek immediate treatment if they suspect they may have been exposed to the virus.

[bluedoc]

Why the arguments about what was said. Get rid if all stray and soi dogs that do not have a collar. If the collar has id, address or phone dispatch them too. If someone wants a dog the owner must behave responsibly 

[wildewillie89]

I thought the context was pretty clear, but moving away from that, The Vet Ministry sent out letters to departments today about every dog/cat in the near future needing to have vaccination tags attached to them and if they don't the law is to be enforced. I haven't looked into it yet, but from the initial details I have heard it is fines of 200 baht, and fake tags resulting in one month imprisonment. 

It is the enforcing part that will be interesting, I don't really understand who will do it. The Vet Office? Doubtful. The police? Highly doubtful. Municipalities? With their no fine powers and Mayors not wanting to get police to do it due to fear of losing votes. Hopefully, it ends up a useful law. I wouldn't hold my breath.