Is Samui rabies free?

[kwilco]

Rabies is endemic to Thailand 

Phuket is claimed to be free and is closely monitored.

So how about Samui ... is anybody monitoring the island?

What would you do if you were bitten?

What is the official position?

Edited September 10, 2018 by kwilco

[PoorSucker]

Samui dog rescue center has vaccination program for all soi dogs for 20+ years now. 

Samui was declared first rabies free zone in Thailand some 20 years ago. 

 

That does not not mean there could still be bats or other carriers around, but no human exposure to rabies according to my Swedish friend that lived here 40 years. 

 

Endemic to Thailand? , more people dies in traffic per day than contract rabies per year. 

95% of rabies in Thailand comes from their cute puppies they just bought and didn't vaccinate. 

[Lucky mike]

Yes free I am sure there is no charge !

[khunPer]

Agree with @PoorSucker, I've been living here for 13+ years and never heard about any case with humans. Most, if not close to all, dogs seem to be vaccinated, but there can be other rabies carriers, I would be careful with bats...?

 

The article here is from September last year...

 

 

[AsiaHand]

Yes,but you are still caution about where you eat "dog on a stick".

[ronaldo0]

Most cases seem to be up north. Never heard of anyone in samui contracting it and as said there are many groups give rabies jabs to street dogs while giving them the snip also to keep numbers down.

[kwilco]

20 hours ago, PoorSucker said:

Samui dog rescue center has vaccination program for all soi dogs for 20+ years now. 

Samui was declared first rabies free zone in Thailand some 20 years ago. 

 

That does not not mean there could still be bats or other carriers around, but no human exposure to rabies according to my Swedish friend that lived here 40 years. 

 

Endemic to Thailand? , more people dies in traffic per day than contract rabies per year. 

95% of rabies in Thailand comes from their cute puppies they just bought and didn't vaccinate. 

Thanks for the info, I was interested to know the situation on Samui regarding the disease..... .however there appear be a few misconceptions about rabies though and how it is likely to spread.

 

Firstly yes, it is "endemic".that is not dependant on the number of deaths, it means it is present throughout a particular region. This year the virus was detected in at least 40 provinces.

 

It's good to hear there is/has been a vaccination program by Soi Dog Foundation as they are an organisation that seems to base their work on solid scientific principals. . They cleared up Phuket and are now tackling Bkk

.

I fully understand that rabies transmitted by any mammal.

There seems to be a general misconception about bats and rabies, though.

 

There is a lot of media hype about rabies, especially how it is transmitted.....

Over 90% of rabies in Thailand comes from dogs, 2% from cats and the rest, about 7%, comes from all other mammal species

 

It is extremely rare for bats to transmit rabies ..... They carry no more rabies than any other mammal and the same precautions would apply if you were bitten by any other mammal. 

 

There is a similar disease...in AustralIa, ABLV, Australian Bat Lyssavirus a rabies-like disease in humans. Like rabies it is usually fatal There have been only three known cases of ABLV in humans. All three of these were in Queensland.

 

It is believed that a similar disease is carried by bats in S.E. Asia maybe 1 to 7 % but There is little or no evidence as yet to suggest it has been transmitted to any humans.

 

To be bitten by a bat, you would most likely have to handle sick or injured ones.

 

Being an island, it is easier to control control such diseases than on the mainland. However with the constant influx of visitors it is still possible for the disease to enter the island via pets or rats.

On Phuket which is connected to the mainland by bridge the main concern is the frequent importation of puppies for selling on markets there. Presumably the same could apply to Samui...

 

I'm assuming there are no restrictions in place regarding bringing animals onto the island from the mainland?

 

In Thailand dogs are by far the largest number of transmitters of rabies..... So to maintain a Rabies free island, one would think that restrictions should be in place?

Edited September 11, 2018 by kwilco

[kwilco]

14 hours ago, AsiaHand said:

Yes,but you are still caution about where you eat "dog on a stick".

You can't get rabies by eating a cooked dog. It is transmitted in saliva and has to pass through broken skin, usually a deep bite into the recipient.

[kwilco]

14 hours ago, ronaldo0 said:

Most cases seem to be up north. Never heard of anyone in samui contracting it and as said there are many groups give rabies jabs to street dogs while giving them the snip also to keep numbers down.

To eliminate or reduce rabies these campaigns need to achieve around 70%  for herd immunity to kick in....this is dependant too on the survival rate of the vaccinated dogs. 

Soi Dog Foundation have been very effective on Phuket, but they are now engaging in a much more ambitious project in Bkk; some 680000 dogs.

 

Contrary to some comments on this thread the South is equally as high in rabies numbers as in Issan on the Cambodian border, with Songkhla and Suratthani being in the top rank nationwide.

Edited September 11, 2018 by kwilco

[kwilco]

17 hours ago, khunPer said:

Agree with @PoorSucker, I've been living here for 13+ years and never heard about any case with humans. Most, if not close to all, dogs seem to be vaccinated, but there can be other rabies carriers, I would be careful with bats...?

 

The article here is from September last year...

 

 

ThisI is really what I was hoping to hear..SDF being involved. I didn't know this.

"Phuket, the island province is the only officially canine rabies-free province in the country". 

I'm sure they'll be as effective here as they have been on Phuket.

Edited September 11, 2018 by kwilco

[PoorSucker]

Samui dog rescue center has been doing this for 20 years. 

SDF is a new player, only seen their car once. 

 

http://www.samuidog.org

[kwilco]

3 hours ago, PoorSucker said:

Samui dog rescue center has been doing this for 20 years. 

SDF is a new player, only seen their car once. 

 

http://www.samuidog.org

So are you saying they aren't doing anything?

If that is so, I suggest it is because there is no need....They certainly wouldn't waste money.

It is also very likely they are cooperating with any local people.

Edited September 12, 2018 by kwilco

[kwilco]

PS - SDF is the oldest animal charity in Thailand.

[notmyself]

On ‎9‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 11:08 PM, kwilco said:

Thanks for the info, I was interested to know the situation on Samui regarding the disease..... .however there appear be a few misconceptions about rabies though and how it is likely to spread.

 

Firstly yes, it is "endemic".that is not dependant on the number of deaths, it means it is present throughout a particular region. This year the virus was detected in at least 40 provinces.

 

It's good to hear there is/has been a vaccination program by Soi Dog Foundation as they are an organisation that seems to base their work on solid scientific principals. . They cleared up Phuket and are now tackling Bkk

.

I fully understand that rabies transmitted by any mammal.

There seems to be a general misconception about bats and rabies, though.

 

There is a lot of media hype about rabies, especially how it is transmitted.....

Over 90% of rabies in Thailand comes from dogs, 2% from cats and the rest, about 7%, comes from all other mammal species

 

It is extremely rare for bats to transmit rabies ..... They carry no more rabies than any other mammal and the same precautions would apply if you were bitten by any other mammal. 

 

There is a similar disease...in AustralIa, ABLV, Australian Bat Lyssavirus a rabies-like disease in humans. Like rabies it is usually fatal There have been only three known cases of ABLV in humans. All three of these were in Queensland.

 

It is believed that a similar disease is carried by bats in S.E. Asia maybe 1 to 7 % but There is little or no evidence as yet to suggest it has been transmitted to any humans.

 

To be bitten by a bat, you would most likely have to handle sick or injured ones.

 

Being an island, it is easier to control control such diseases than on the mainland. However with the constant influx of visitors it is still possible for the disease to enter the island via pets or rats.

On Phuket which is connected to the mainland by bridge the main concern is the frequent importation of puppies for selling on markets there. Presumably the same could apply to Samui...

 

I'm assuming there are no restrictions in place regarding bringing animals onto the island from the mainland?

 

In Thailand dogs are by far the largest number of transmitters of rabies..... So to maintain a Rabies free island, one would think that restrictions should be in place?

 

Well said.

 

 

 

 

[kwilco]

19 hours ago, kwilco said:

So are you saying they aren't doing anything?

If that is so, I suggest it is because there is no need....They certainly wouldn't waste money.

It is also very likely they are cooperating with any local people.

I've messaged SDF toto ask why they consider it necessary to have a presence on Samui (and neighbouring islands).

I'm hoping they will say who they are cooperating with too.

[notmyself]

8 minutes ago, kwilco said:

I've messaged SDF toto ask why they consider it necessary to have a presence on Samui (and neighbouring islands).

I'm hoping they will say who they are cooperating with too.

 

They are doing because of love of dogs to such a degree that is causes suffering. Shall we go back to 2005-6 where a real plan was implemented and then abandoned because? …. putting a suffering dog down was un-Buddhist. Not my country and people are free to do what they wish but I would not donate a single Baht to groups who support the (same word) suffering of said animals. You small that stench up in the hills where the smell of dead animals is not covered by human activity?

 

I personally find the activity of keeping animals for little more than entertainment to be disgusting.

 

I heard something quite some years back that is on a unrelated subject but the logic (on topic) is exactly the same..... 'If I could stop a person from being raped then I would, that is the difference between me and your god'. 

 

 

[kwilco]

4 hours ago, notmyself said:

 

They are doing because of love of dogs to such a degree that is causes suffering. Shall we go back to 2005-6 where a real plan was implemented and then abandoned because? …. putting a suffering dog down was un-Buddhist. Not my country and people are free to do what they wish but I would not donate a single Baht to groups who support the (same word) suffering of said animals. You small that stench up in the hills where the smell of dead animals is not covered by human activity?

 

I personally find the activity of keeping animals for little more than entertainment to be disgusting.

 

I heard something quite some years back that is on a unrelated subject but the logic (on topic) is exactly the same..... 'If I could stop a person from being raped then I would, that is the difference between me and your god'. 

 

 

I think we can assume you don't work of SDF.

There are already orgs on Samui performing this task.

Are we to assume they weren't doing it effectively?

[kwilco]

apparently they were working with Pariah Dog.

 

The SDF mobile team on Kob Samui sterilised and vaccinated 7532 dogs before leaving the island. (I think thy are on Koh Pha Ngan at present.)

They had received numerous pleas over the past 2 -3 years to come to Samui,  In addition the local authority and Department of Livestock also requested them to come.

They worked closely with Pariah Dog Rescue, a local organisation and local volunteers helped.

Apparently despite having had an organisation on the island for 20 years, Samui was still having a growing canine problem .

[notmyself]

On ‎9‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 5:28 AM, kwilco said:

I think we can assume you don't work of SDF.

 

You are quite correct. I don't work and would not work for such a body.

 

There are already orgs on Samui performing this task.

 

I've been here a while and have a good friend who happens to engage is such behaviour. I'm a guest here and act as such.

 

Are we to assume they weren't doing it effectively?

 

I should add at this point I try not to get into ethical matters such as this but since I commented and you were kind enough to reply, I should respond.

 

It's the 'doing what' in an effective manner that matters. Beside the human intervention in nature...unless you can control the system (closed system) it causes harm and suffering with no goal in mind. Yeah people don't think and such, so while they think sterilisation is good (it is) they don't think of why it is needed. Wouldn't it be great if even sterilisation wasn't needed! What does that mean? Idiots. Go on Google Earth journey or whatever it's called where you jump from place to place on Earth with uploaded pictures... Different animals but same data.

They are doing because of love of dogs to such a degree that is causes suffering.

 

Don't get me wrong, I know it is given as a noble gesture but with most every **** having close to the entire collective knowledge of mankind at their fingertips via a smartphone, there is no excuse. If someone wants to sit there with their thumb up their **** while ******* off to a picture of whatever then have at it horse. Your life and do what you want. It's all about a compromise between good and bad but don't object if I refuse to subject other animals to suffering just because I like one or a few, in particular.

 

In Europe last week to see a friend and got this picture.