Thai Health Min aims to eliminate rabies by 2020

[webfact]

 MOPH aims to eliminate rabies by 2020

 

NONTHABURI, 15 May 2017 (NNT) – The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has joined hands with the World Health Organization (WHO) and international experts to eradicate rabies from Thailand by the year 2020. 

MOPH Permanent Secretray Sophon Mekthon held a press conference announcing the plan to eradicate rabies from Thailand by the year 2020. Thailand will cooperate with experts from WHO and 25 countries, according to the wishes of Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn. 

The conference was participated by representatives from Chulalongkorn Hospital, Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Medicine, and the Thai Red Cross Society. 

The MOPH permanent secretary said the realization of such a goal will require all sectors to cooperate, particularly local authorities, the general public, and network organizations. Rabies remains a crucial issue for Thailand. The Kingdom suffered 14 fatalities from rabies in 2016, while three patients have already been identified in 2017. 

All persons who contracted the rabies virus by being bitten by infected animals will die unless they receive vaccination in time. 

Active measures will be used to raise awareness on rabies among the general public, enhance the detection of rabies patients or rabies-related deaths, speed up the diagnosis, and provide fast responses that will allow the victim to receive vaccination within 48 hours. 

HRH Princess Chulabhorn, as the President of the "Disease-free Animals, Safe Humans from Rabies" campaign has expressed her wish to eliminate rabies from Thailand within two years, ahead of the regional master plan ASEAN RABIES FREE 2020, which plans to rid the virus from the region by the year 2020.

 

-- nnt 2017-05-15

[canuckamuck]

I don't know if any country has been successful in eliminating rabies.

With Thailand being the world leader in feral dog production, plus the massive amounts of bats and rats and other carriers, and four land borders with other countries. Good luck.

[wakeupplease]

UK has, but with the amount of dogs around the villages that attack you when out walking, its going to be hard but possible

[Oxx]

29 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

plus the massive amounts of bats and rats and other carriers

 

In "Survey for Bat Lyssaviruses, Thailand",  "No serum samples had evidence of neutralizing antibodies when tested against rabies virus."

 

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/2/04-0691_article

 

"Small rodents like squirrels, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, chipmunks, rats, and mice) and lagomorphs including rabbits and hares are almost never found to be infected with rabies and have not been known to transmit rabies to humans."

 

https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/exposure/animals/other.html

 

So, no.  It's really only the dogs that need to be dealt with for rabies.

[canuckamuck]

34 minutes ago, Oxx said:

 

In "Survey for Bat Lyssaviruses, Thailand",  "No serum samples had evidence of neutralizing antibodies when tested against rabies virus."

 

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/2/04-0691_article

 

"Small rodents like squirrels, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, chipmunks, rats, and mice) and lagomorphs including rabbits and hares are almost never found to be infected with rabies and have not been known to transmit rabies to humans."

 

https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/exposure/animals/other.html

 

So, no.  It's really only the dogs that need to be dealt with for rabies.

Thank you for the info.

I suppose the dog issue is a big enough juggernaut on its own, so it is a good thing the bats and rat aren't compounding it.

Now they just have to eliminate a couple million strays.

[mikebell]

Eliminate dogs - eliminate rabies; many road accidents; attacks on children; many infections; dog dirt; etc.

[darksidedog]

This is quite a simple issue that doesn't involve killing every dog that can be found, regardless of if it is infected or not. It comes down to when you are bitten by any animal, go to the hospital and get the anti rabies shot. That is what people around the world do, so it shouldn't be too hard.

[cliveshep]

With the Thai Government offering free rabies injections for dogs there is no excuse for any form of cull. Simply take dogs to the government centre and they will get a free anti rabies jab.

 

We have 3 rescue pups found by the roadside in the back of beyond, we fed them for a bit on-site until it became clear they had been abandoned. So we brought them home. and de-loused them and gave them heart and lung worm and flea treatment  We took them to Minburi District offices and they got the free rabies jabs. Now got 3 healthy pups growing fast and becoming lovely dogs.

 

Living on a small pension with a big (adopted) Thai family and now 7 dogs (5 being rescue dogs) economy is the only way for us and this scheme by the government was a godsend.

[Beats56]

Have all dogs licensed and wear a collar with a rabies tag that shows it had a vaccination. Renew license every year. Round up the strays and and sterilize them and give them the shot.

 

[Luckysilk]

1 minute ago, Beats56 said:

Have all dogs licensed and wear a collar with a rabies tag that shows it had a vaccination. Renew license every year. Round up the strays and and sterilize them and give them the shot.

 

That's a key point to sterilize the male population as it is less invasive and a quick recovery. If every practitioner were obligated to perform xx procedures it would be a start.

 

The stray dog population in BKK is out of control with aggressive dogs who may or not be rabid makes neighbourhoods dangerous.

[dieseldave1951]

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

This is quite a simple issue that doesn't involve killing every dog that can be found, regardless of if it is infected or not. It comes down to when you are bitten by any animal, go to the hospital and get the anti rabies shot. That is what people around the world do, so it shouldn't be too hard.

and some people cant afford the 1500 or so baht for the coarse of treatment

[tonray]

36 minutes ago, cliveshep said:

With the Thai Government offering free rabies injections for dogs there is no excuse for any form of cull. Simply take dogs to the government centre and they will get a free anti rabies jab.

 

We have 3 rescue pups found by the roadside in the back of beyond, we fed them for a bit on-site until it became clear they had been abandoned. So we brought them home. and de-loused them and gave them heart and lung worm and flea treatment  We took them to Minburi District offices and they got the free rabies jabs. Now got 3 healthy pups growing fast and becoming lovely dogs.

 

Living on a small pension with a big (adopted) Thai family and now 7 dogs (5 being rescue dogs) economy is the only way for us and this scheme by the government was a godsend.

And were they also spayed or neutered ? Propagation is of course 9/10s of the problem. It's wonderful that you took the care to clean them up and get them rabies shots but Thailand does not need more dogs with the ability to procreate.

[Happyman58]

Simple solution  Give extra money to local authorities to hire dog catchers Look this is just Bs talk It never happen the dog population will increase no decrease  Dogs to Thais are more important than human beings I know because i kicked a  dog once for trying to bite me and my thai wife was going to div me over it That is true  Her words were Let the dog bite the owners will pay for needle for rabies

 

That is there way of thinking  Let the dogs bite you 

[jippytum]

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

This is quite a simple issue that doesn't involve killing every dog that can be found, regardless of if it is infected or not. It comes down to when you are bitten by any animal, go to the hospital and get the anti rabies shot. That is what people around the world do, so it shouldn't be too hard.

 Great idea .No control on soi dogs although some are rabid simply go to hospital and get the anti rabies jabs and wound dressing  what planet are you on .?

[Happyman58]

12 minutes ago, tonray said:

And were they also spayed or neutered ? Propagation is of course 9/10s of the problem. It's wonderful that you took the care to clean them up and get them rabies shots but Thailand does not need more dogs with the ability to procreate.

Everybody loves puppies til they grow up then they become a problem and most likely a stray dog

[darksidedog]

6 minutes ago, jippytum said:

 Great idea .No control on soi dogs although some are rabid simply go to hospital and get the anti rabies jabs and wound dressing  what planet are you on .?

I didn't say anything about no control on Soi dogs, did I? I said it was unnecessary to kill them all! That in itself was in response to the previous post before mine, where "eliminate dogs" was mentioned. While I agree Soi dogs are a problem, not all of them have rabies. Personally, I would go to the hospital for a tetanus and rabies shot if I was bitten by any animal, as would anyone with common sense. And that was the point of my post. Some people here don't understand that they should and educating them, would prevent Rabies deaths. I hope that is now clearer.

Edited May 15, 2017 by darksidedog

[Cadbury]

Another well intentioned objective by this talk-a-lot but do little government. Not dissimilar to the eliminating corruption in 20 years declaration by PM Prayut or the eradication of prostitution by the TAT boss or the reduction in road accidents and deaths.

[colinneil]

When i first came to after my accident, before i was told that i was now a paraplegic, i promised my wife that 1 day i would take her ballroom dancing, that will never happen, nor will this nonsense.

[williamgeorgeallen]

7 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

I don't know if any country has been successful in eliminating rabies.

With Thailand being the world leader in feral dog production, plus the massive amounts of bats and rats and other carriers, and four land borders with other countries. Good luck.

new zealand got rid of rabies a long time ago but it took a fair amount of organisation and complete control of feral dogs. cant see either of these things happening in thailand. who are they kidding with these silly claims. it is basically impossible.

[Khon Kaen Dave]

7 hours ago, wakeupplease said:

UK has, but with the amount of dogs around the villages that attack you when out walking, its going to be hard but possible

The Uk is Rabies free, but wasn't there a scare of something , possibly getting through the Channel tunnel some time ago. Also didn't some MP, point out that a migrant trying to get through,may, unknowingly have a dose of it?

[canuckamuck]

30 minutes ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

new zealand got rid of rabies a long time ago but it took a fair amount of organisation and complete control of feral dogs. cant see either of these things happening in thailand. who are they kidding with these silly claims. it is basically impossible.

UK and New Zealand have been successful apparently, but these 2 countries have something in common that Thailand hasn't got.

[Khon Kaen Dave]

30 minutes ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

new zealand got rid of rabies a long time ago but it took a fair amount of organisation and complete control of feral dogs. cant see either of these things happening in thailand. who are they kidding with these silly claims. it is basically impossible.

I know its a terrible thing to say, but only complete extermination of the soi dog population would enormously reduce the situation.But then that would lead to conjecture about the Bat population and any other creature that might be able to carry the disease . They would have to be prepared to carry out exterminations on a scale that resembled the Holocaust.I think its another pissing in the wind comment, just to keep, the already apathetic populace happy.And Tourists of course.

[williamgeorgeallen]

3 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

UK and New Zealand have been successful apparently, but these 2 countries have something in common that Thailand hasn't got.

being an island nation helps but like some one said a good start would be the extermination of the feral dog population. any dog without a collar needs to be removed from the equation. good job for the army with all their toys.

[Krataiboy]

6 hours ago, darksidedog said:

This is quite a simple issue that doesn't involve killing every dog that can be found, regardless of if it is infected or not. It comes down to when you are bitten by any animal, go to the hospital and get the anti rabies shot. That is what people around the world do, so it shouldn't be too hard.

 

It isn't one shot, it's five and they are darned expensive (yes, I know - not as expensive as dying). Also, it is not always easy to get hold of one of the five post-exposure vaccinations, human rabies immune globulin.

 

A friend of mine who was bitten by a dog shortly before flying back to the Uk was unable to get this shot locally before his flight, had it as soon as he could after reaching the UK and suffered no ill effects. However, nobody knows if the dog was rabid or not and whether, if it had been, he would have been in serious trouble.

 

One doesn't have to kill all the stray dogs in Thailand, but if one is going to have packs of them charging around biting all and sundry there needs to be a government-funded nation-wide "grab and jab" programme to enable local authorities to round up and vaccinate loose animals and insist on dog owners doing the same or risk having their pets put down.

[Puccini]

7 hours ago, darksidedog said:

This is quite a simple issue that doesn't involve killing every dog that can be found, regardless of if it is infected or not. It comes down to when you are bitten by any animal, go to the hospital and get the anti rabies shot. That is what people around the world do, so it shouldn't be too hard.

 

How will this eliminate rabies in Thailand?

[connda]

Considering they stopped the free rabies vaccination program for all village dogs a year or so back, I'd say that this MOPH announcement is hot air.  We vaccinate our own dogs, but the average Thai who can't even give their mangy dogs a bath once a year also aren't going to buy and vaccinate their dogs against rabies.  So until I see different at the local level, it's all pretty much bollacks.  

[wildewillie89]

Surely one way to maybe not fully eradicate rabies, but get some form of control over it is 'herd immunity', so vaccinate at least 95% of dogs in each community. Currently, the way the government does it is send a set amount of rabies vaccine to Tessaban's each year. Before it was enough to cover nearly the whole population (if people bothered taking their dogs on the day of administration). Now it has been reduced to only cover government building dogs and temples as far as i am aware. 

The problem is this, they vaccinate the same dogs each year even though the World Small Animal Veterinary Association has told Thailand the shot last 3 years. Thailand refuse to believe it and are still of the belief (without a strand of evidence) that it is an annual shot (they say due to the heat but there is zero evidence of that). I think it was in 1978 that belief came about, that it had to be an annual shot, but had no evidence backing it up. Now all of the research says at least 3 years (challenge tested). 

 

So what happens? For example, say there are 600 dogs in a village (owned dogs, govt dogs, strays). The government only gives funding for 200 of these dogs to be vaccinated and it must be done annually. Instead of recording, tagging, taking photos, whatever, of which dogs have been done the same 200 are done each year as they hang out in the same popular places. Whereas over a 3 year period all 600 could have been vaccinated. Then if a rabies infested dog does enter the community, at least all dogs would be protected. So now is 2017, that program will eradicate rabies in that village by 2020. 

My wife recently went to a government conference regarding these initiatives (she is a Director of Public Health), and offered this idea to the forum. The veterinary directors were against it because of this 1 vs 3 year shot (even though the shot says 3 years DOI on it). Even when showing that the WSAVA came to Thailand to look at their research and conditions and still recommended every 3 years, they disputed it. Of course, they had no research to dispute it (as it has been scientifically proven otherwise - which is why countries went from annual to 3 yearly rabies shots). My personal vet in Thailand was also of the annual belief, but when I disputed it, he also could not find any 'Thai' research that disproved a 3 year shot being mucked about due to 'heat', so he said I will just do your dogs every 3 years then but I cannot change the system. 

I think it is Dr.Ronald Schultz who does the research on vaccinations. He also did some research that showed that annual vaccinations make up 14% of a vet clinics income. So it seems, as usual, research doesn't win out, but making a buck at the expense of the community does. I would also be inclined to think rabies is a lot more common than official statistics suggest (as with most things in most departments lol). I have been told by a couple of vets that  encounter cases, and when they report it they are told to be quiet so the 'city looks clean'. 

Edited May 18, 2017 by wildewillie89