Around 300 dogs culled to prevent rabies in Bali

12/23/08 23:52

Denpasar (ANTARA News) - Around 300 dogs were culled in an anticipation of rabies outbreak in Badung District and Denpasar city, Bali Island.

"Besides, some 3,000 dogs have been vaccinated and put them in cages as domestic pets," Dr I Gusti Ngurah K Mahardika, lecturer of the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Udayana, said here on Tuesday.

Speaking in a media workshop on bird flu and rabies control, he said that the operation was conducted simultaneously to prevent a rabies outbreak in Unggasan, Badung District.

He said that 90 percent of the dog population in the district were vaccinated and the remaining 10 percent were eliminated.

Mahardika estimated that Bali Island had about 530,000 dogs, or 6.5 percent of the island's total population of 3.5 million people.

He also explained that seven persons had been infected with rabies after being bitten by stray dogs, and two of them had finally died of rabies.

The Australian embassy recently informed that the Australian government supported Indonesia in addressing the rabies outbreak in the holiday island resort of Bali.

The support was part of Australia's A$100,000 contribution to control the recent rabies outbreak in Bali.

"Australia will provide equipment to allow more rapid diagnosis of the disease, and to support a mass vaccination campaign in the affected areas of Badung district," Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Bill Farmer said recently.