(5/7/2011)
According to the Bali Post, incidents of dog bits against humans remains high in 2011. In an average day some 135 dog bit cases are reported across the island, but officials insist this a average total is lower than was the case in 2010.
The head of the Bali Department of Health, Dr. Nyoman Sutedja, says the average number of daily cases of dog bites stands at 150. "Although the incidents of dogs bites this year is less than last year, the total remains high because it is above 100," said Sutedja.
Sutedja continued by explaining that dog bite cases through April 2011 totaled 23,650 with 22,000 of the people bitten receiving anti-rabies vaccine. "Maybe because there are new cases which remain unrecorded, it's unclear if they the remainder have received anti-rabies vaccine."
The Bali Health Service says their remain 6,560 vials of anti-rabies vaccine on hand in Bali. Rp. 5 billion (US$555,000) has been set aside for the purchase of 35,000 vials in 2011.
Sutedja calculates that at a current average incident rate of dog bites, the supply of existing and anti-rabies vaccine on order will be sufficient to last through August.
Sutedja says there have been 127 human deaths attributed to rabies in Bali, although some source have put the number at more than 130.
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