A dog is given the rabies vaccine. Photo by Baolaocai.
According to reports from local authorities, between November 2 - 4, nine residents in Bat Xat District and Lao Cai City were attacked by three dogs which were then tested positive for rabies.
Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee has asked for intensified measures to curb the problem following the incidents.
Statistics from the Lao Cai Provincial Centre for Disease Control showed that the province recorded 2,270 cases of rabies exposure (people bitten or scratched by dogs and cats) in the first 10 months of 2024, an increase of 758 cases compared to the same period in 2023.
Of these, 2,240 cases required rabies vaccination, an increase of 806 cases over the same period, and 429 cases required rabies serum injection, an increase of 179 cases over the same period.
Vietnam reported 82 fatilities caused by rabies in 2023, up 12 cases compared to the previous years.
According to the National Rabies Prevention and Control Programme for 2022-2030, the rabies vaccination rate for the country’s dog and cat population will be 70 percent between 2022 and 2025.