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Illegal dog trading behind rabies surge: Activists
Stopping the spread: A veterinarian holds a rabies vaccine in Bawodesolo, Gunung Sitoli regency, North Sumatra, on Jan 12
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topping the spread: A veterinarian holds a rabies vaccine in Bawodesolo, Gunung Sitoli regency, North Sumatra, on Jan 12. A total of 494 cases of rabies were reported in the province in 2018, claiming three people.(Antara/Septianda Perdana)
Animal rights activists have raised concerns over the recent rabies outbreak, calling on the authorities to immediately curb the dog meat trade which, they claimed, contributed to the spread of the disease.
Most rabies cases in the archipelago in January and February this year were found in Dompu, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), while two were found in North Sumatra, four in Central Sulawesi and North Sulawesi respectively and two in West Kalimantan. The Health Ministry recorded 14 fatalities in the same period nationwide.
An emergency status for rabies has been placed in Dompu and the ministry said 1,028 dogs in the area had been put down.
The rabies outbreak in Dompu was called shocking as NTB was one of the nine provinces that had been declared rabies-free in 2014.
Founder of the Change For Animals Foundation Lola Webber said the phenomenon was tragic given the huge investment and commitment of resources required to secure rabies-free status. Indonesia had targeted to eliminate rabies by 2020.
“We know from decades of experience from around the world that the only and most cost-effective way to successfully eliminate the virus is through vaccinating 70 percent of the dog population. But this also requires controlled transportation of dogs and no indiscriminate dog culling, which actually exacerbates the situation,” Lola told The Jakarta Post recently.
She highlighted that the dog meat trade facilitates the spread of the disease as it encourages the mass transportation of dogs of unknown disease and vaccination status, often over long distances.
“We call on [the authorities] to immediately end the dog meat trade, place restrictions on transporting animals, vaccinate dogs on a mass scale, as well as provide quarantine facilities and post-exposure prophylaxis,” Lola said. “This will also require public education and joint efforts by many different government departments and agencies,” she added.
Jakarta Animal Aid Network cofounder Karin Franken said separately that one of the reasons why dogs were transported from area to area was because of demand for dog meat.
“[People in] Sulawesi and North Sumatra often run out of stock and then they go elsewhere to get dogs,” she said.
Franken added that even though only 7 percent of the Indonesian population consumed dog meat, the remaining 93 percent had to face the risk of rabies.
“This is not fair. This is not about culture. This is about public health and safety and the government should take this very seriously,” she said.
Head of prevention and eradication of animal diseases at the Agriculture Ministry Arief Wicaksono said while NTB had been free from rabies for a long time, the disease was introduced in Dompu from other regions.
“Dompu is a corn producing regency. That’s why farmers get dogs from Bali and Flores to guard the fields from thieves and wild boars. It is forbidden to bring dogs from infected areas to NTB. But the illegal transportation of dogs still happens and this is one of the reasons why rabies returned to Dompu,” he told the Post over the weekend.
Arief said of the 10,384 dogs in Dompu, 3,227 dogs had been vaccinated.
“The numbers will keep increasing as we continue the vaccination program,” he said.
