Tabanan woman dies of rabies

Denpasar: Fifty-year-old Ni Ketut Sari died after being treated for rabies symptoms for four hours at Sanglah General Hospital.

Ketut Sari was bitten by a dog, suspected of being infected with rabies, two months ago at her village of Banjar Pande in Tabanan regency, some 45 kilometers northwest of Denpasar.

I Nyoman Sunarta said his wife did not get an anti-rabies vaccination after the incident. "We never thought that it could be so dangerous. We brought her to Tabanan Regional Hospital but it *the hospital* did not have the antirabies vaccine," he explained.

A few days before she died, Ketut Sari suffered from rabies-like symptoms, her muscles were tense and she felt severe pain in some parts of her body, Sunarta said.

Head of the Bali Health Office I Nyoman Sutedja said Tabanan Hospital had a supply of 879 doses of anti-rabies vaccine, enough to treat 220 patients. Tabanan records 20 dog bites every day.

"After the Tabanan incident, Gianyar regency is now on the alert," Sutedja said. - JP