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Islands in focus: C. Java on alert for rabies outbreak
Despite no new human rabies cases in the province for several years, the Central Java administration has pledged to continue its rabies prevention and control programs, particularly given the high consumption of dog meat in the province
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espite no new human rabies cases in the province for several years, the Central Java administration has pledged to continue its rabies prevention and control programs, particularly given the high consumption of dog meat in the province.
As well as regularly vaccinating stray and domestic dogs, Central Java Animal Health and Husbandry Agency head Agus Wariyanto said the agency had also instructed its animal health laboratories in Semarang, Surakarta and Purworejo to carry out regular rabies tests.
'To prevent the transmission of rabies disease in Central Java, our labs will continue to run routine tests to detect the [possible] emergence of the virus,' Agus said, as quoted by Antara news agency on Wednesday.
The rabies virus is mainly transmitted to humans through the bite of a rabid dog, ultimately causing brain disease and death. Consumption of dog meat is also thought to be a trigger for the virus' spread.
Central Java, according to Agus, consumes 223 dogs every day, demand second only to Jakarta, the nation's capital.
