Mangy, bite-happy stray dogs on Bali and an outbreak of rabies have authorities scrambling.
Besides the omnipresent scattered waste Bali now also has to deal with the problem of rabies infections which, aggravated by the indisciplined and negligent mindset of many Balinese who still let their dogs roam the streets, continue to mount on the resort island.
The local newspaper Radar Bali reports that deaths attributed to the disease are also mounting in the face of the depletion of emergency government funds allocated to fight rabies. In the light of the worsening situation, Governor Made Mangku Pastika on February 23, 2010, convened those delegated with fighting rabies in Bali for a meeting.
In attendance were representatives from the Bali Department of Health dealing with communicable disease, environmental health officials and representatives from Bali’s main general hospital. Following that meeting, the officials told the press that Bali was still in an ‘extraordinary situation’ in its confrontation with rabies, made worse by the high rates of dog bites being reported to the authorities every day.
Bali’s main general hospital at Sanglah is reporting a daily rate of 60 dog bites, with other satellite general hospitals across the island treating an average of between 25-30 cases a day. Authorities estimate around 85 dog bites are taking place island-wide on a daily basis. Since November 2008, a total of 31,000 dog bite injuries have occurred in Bali with 28,000 people being given anti-rabies serum. The current count estimates that there have been 59 cases of rabies of which 28 have been clinically confirmed as resulting from the disease.
Fearful of a further spread of the disease, disease control authorities have renewed their calls for the elimination of stray dogs in Bali. Dr. Ken Wirasandi of the Sanglah General Hospital, who serves the Secretary of the hospital’s rabies control center, confirms that rabies has now spread to almost every regency and metropolitan center in Bali:
Klungkung which was formerly said to be safe has now seen one patient from that area die at Sanglah hospital. The one area still free from rabies is the regency of Jembrana.
Rabies treatment must be commenced as quickly as possible after suffering a possibly contagious bite. Unfortunately, once clinical symptoms of rabies appear in a patient there is little that can be done medically to save the victim’s life. There is also a growing problem securing a sufficient supply of anti-rabies serum to dog-bite victims. balidiscovery.com
Cruel solution…why balinese do not try the proven the Javanese ways in handling the dog issue, just invite several Batak and Menadonese to settle in Bali …trust me in very sort time the population dogs in Bali will eventually under control while Balinese will think twice to let their beloved dog roaming on the street
One reason I don’t want to stay longer in Bali; because I have dog phobia. Even a cutie small chihuahua can make me jump and run away. Right now it’s not that bad, but I still prefer to stay in a distance rather than petting them.
Lawar, isn’t it made from pig’s blood? Or chicken?
Cukky…. with so many fast food restaurants around, I don’t think B1 is a highly demanded option in their menu nowadays.
Bu Deta,
You insulted Batak and Menadonese if you thought that they eat the dog meat because there is no other meat for them. They eat this legend meat because they know a secret power in the dog meat while they can manage the available resource wisely.
For Cuk: I think lawar bali is made from dog. There are a log of dogs in Bali but you never see a nice one. Maybe the nice ones get eaten first?
yes but I could not find the below in Bali
Bu Deta,
yes the pictures may be little bit disturbing but trust me once you could smell the fragnant smoke of Kepala Anjing Bakar your appetite will arise soon.
the secret power could not be described by word but If you do not mind I can prove it to you when we have time to spend just a night in a cave
I just tried lawar once, Ross & Pj, and they said it was vegetarian version. I assumed it didn’t has any blood. They were not lying to me, right?
@pjbali: no, lawar bali is made from pork. dogs are eaten, but in completely different manner, and by certain circle of people only.
Yes, balinese love their dogs but they rely on their independent loyalty (loyal but independent). Different from westeners who pamper their dogs and take a good care about them, balinese hold Darwinian’s “nature’s selection” for their dogs survival, which is a pity, yes. Problem is, Balinese are mostly naive. Worse, the knowing people like governement and pemda are sometimes (or, most the time) are not caring, they ask people from singaraja (North Bali) to get free antidote at RS Sanglah, some 3 hourse journey which will cost around IDR 150.000 if they don’t want to pay IDR 188.000 for the antidote at RS SIngaraja. What a bulshit, isn’t it? And they’re spending some 5 Billion for overcoming the plague yet the so called “free ARV” are still rare in Bali, and the head of the General Hospital in SIngaraja said they had only 30 of them in singaraja so people have to pay for them. I am from Singaraja, living away at Singaraja, and know these people, and so sad for them…
Boy,
Sholat is very important but it is only my private obligation while we have other common obligation to familiarize our self toward killing image and the blood shed.
Regards,
Hopefully the Indonesian government will quickly understand that killing dogs has never worked anywhere in the world. The only thing that works to stop rabies is vaccinating 70% of dogs.
As soon as the government officials stop wasting money, effort, time, and manpower on painfully poisoning the Bali dogs and gets on with an effective vaccination program the rabies will be immediately brought under control.
This could have happened at least a year ago and many lives would have been saved.
@Diego
Sahabat Cukky,
Aren’t you supposed to be doing sholat in the mosque, instead of googling for such an appetite-killing image?
I know one part of Java, whose majority is Muslim but like to eat doggies (in fact doggie meat is allegedly famous there).
Maybe Cukky is from there.
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No wonder, dog has always been a cowboy’s best friend 😀
Two ways to overcome this rabies problem: vaccination for dogs and people, and elimination (for dogs only).
Nice article btw, ET.