Having set the target of Bali to be rabies free by 2012, the Island's authorities are determined to continue conducting the mass culling of stray dogs, despite protests from animal groups.
In commemoration of World Rabies Day in Tabanan, Bali, on Wednesday, the authorities argued that the mass culling drive is the only effective way to diminish the rapid population of stray dogs in the province.
"We have set the target to free Bali of rabies by 2012.
"We only have two more years, and we have to race with the rapid increase of the stray dog population," said Tjeppy Sudjana, director general of husbandry at the Agriculture Ministry.
"It will be less effective if we only carry out vaccinations, while the population of stray dogs continues to rise out of control.
"Therefore, mass culling should go on to prevent stray dogs from becoming overpopulated and increasing the spread of rabies.
We have no other alternative," he said.
"Containing rabies in Bali is a priority because the province is a world-class tourist destination and it has a strategic position in the country's economic development.
"We hope the target will be achieved within the time frame."
The Bali Animal Welfare Association and the Bali Rabies Forum have strongly protested against the culling of stray dogs.
The groups claim that the antirabies drive could threaten the population of dogs in Bali and could pose another threat, such as causing an increasing number of rats, which could spread other types of diseases.
The groups recommended mass vaccination as the most effective method to fight the epidemic.
Tjeppy said more awareness campaigns and public education was needed to contain the disease and to make people aware of the urgency of the mass culling.
The first case of rabies in Bali was found in Ungasan village in Jimbaran, Badung regency, in November last year.
The disease has spread to other regencies, including Gianyar, Tabanan, Bangli and Karangasem, and has so far claimed 15 lives.
Bali Health Agency said it has given 43,788 doses of antirabies vaccine to patients that had been bitten by dogs and had taken necessary treatments for the patients.
Governor I Made Mangku Pastika said that authorities in the province had given vaccines to more than 66,900 dogs, or 16.4 percent of the total population of 408,675 dogs.
They have also culled 26,705 dogs, or 6.5 percent of the total population.
"We will continue to conduct these efforts to free this province from rabies by 2012, and we expect cooperation from related agencies and the public," he said.
Tjandra Yoga Aditama, the Health Ministry's director general of disease control, recommended that all regencies in Bali establish their own rabies centers at community health centers (Puskesmas), as the center of information and treatment for rabies-infected patients.
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