On June 18, the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases informed that the hospital had just received a 29-month-old patient in Hanoi who was bitten by a dog while playing at his neighbor's house. The dog, about 20kg tall, was chained in the yard and suddenly attacked when he was close to plowing. The most serious injury is a 3x5cm wide tear in the neck, only 3cm from the temporomandibular artery, which can endanger life if the wound spreads down. After initial first aid in the locality, the child was immediately taken to the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases for vaccination and monitoring.
In the same dangerous situation, a 12-year-old boy in Hanoi was also bitten by a domestic dog while catching the dog to release. Due to the small wound, the child did not report it to adults. However, the next day, the dog suddenly died, with a watery mouth. It was not until 4 days later, when he read information about rabies online, that he told his parents and was immediately taken to the hospital for vaccination.
Doctor Tran Quang Dai, Center for Immunization, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, recommends: although dogs and cats have been fully vaccinated against rabies, they cannot ensure absolute safety. The effectiveness of the vaccine depends on many factors such as vaccination time, repeat vaccination regimen, vaccine quality... Rabies virus exists in dog and cat saliva and can be transmitted to humans through bites, so whether the animal is vaccinated or not, people bitten by dogs still need to be vaccinated against rabies in time.
Summer is the time when rabies is at increased risk, when children often play outdoors and the hot weather makes dogs and cats vulnerable to agitation and aggression. In addition, families travel and travel a lot, increasing their exposure to pathogens.
In this situation, experts recommend that parents should not let their children play near dogs and cats, especially stray dogs, dogs while eating, sleeping, or showing signs of aggression. When bitten by a dog, you should immediately rinse the wound with soap under running water for at least 15 minutes, disinfect and go to a medical facility for timely vaccination. Even if dogs and cats have been vaccinated against rabies, if they bite people, they still need to be closely monitored for 1015 days. If the animal shows unusual signs or dies, the person bitten should be fully vaccinated against rabies. Families also need to periodically vaccinate dogs and cats against rabies according to the instructions of the veterinary industry and absolutely not let dogs roam freely. When taking dogs to public places, chains and muzzles should be used to ensure the safety of the community.
