The HCM City Hospital for Tropical Diseases administered nearly 9,000 rabies vaccinations, including over 5,800 from dog bites and nearly 3,000 from other animals, along with four cases linked to human assault and one involving a reptile.
Cases related to rat bites have risen steadily, with 59 recorded in January, 73 in February and 82 in March.
The hospital recently reported a fatal rabies case involving a 55-year-old man from Tay Ninh Province, who was bitten on the finger by his brother’s unvaccinated dog in June 2025 and received only a single vaccine dose, failing to complete the full course.
He later developed fatigue, fever, hydrophobia and difficulty swallowing, and was admitted to a hospital in HCM City on March 30, but his condition rapidly deteriorated. He died shortly being taken home on April 2 as treatment proved ineffective.
Phan Vinh Tho, head of Infectious Diseases Ward D at the hospital, said many patients from rural areas lack awareness of proper post-exposure treatment, with dogs often left unvaccinated and roaming freely, increasing transmission risk.
He added that medical literature has documented rabies incubation periods of up to 19 years, though the disease is typically acute and almost always fatal once symptoms appear.
Doctors warned that hot weather creates favourable conditions for rabies transmission. The virus can spread not only through bites but also through scratches or when infected animals lick open wounds.
Residents are advised to ensure pets are fully vaccinated and to seek immediate medical attention if bitten, scratched or licked on broken skin, particularly in high-risk areas such as the head, face, neck, extremities or genitals.
