Rabies still a public health hazard in Cambodia

The World Health Organization ( WHO) said Friday that rabies was still a public health hazard in Cambodia and called for broad vaccinations for dogs to prevent the disease. "Rabies is highly endemic and a noticeable disease in Cambodia, " said a joint statement by the WHO and the Cambodian Health Ministry. "According to a study by the Institute Pasteur in Cambodia, about 800 people may have died of rabies in 2007." Rabies is a viral infection which causes nearly always fatal disease in humans and other warm-blooded mammals, said the statement, which was released a day ahead of the World Rabies Day. Dogs are the main reservoirs, of the rabies virus, accounting for more than 95 percent of rabid animals, it said. Cambodia has a remarkably large population of dogs. The findings of the Institute Pasteur in Cambodia indicated that there was one dog for approximately every 3 humans, a ratio that is 3 to 4 times higher than that of neighboring countries. To commemorate World Rabies Day 2013, the WHO, the Health Ministry and the Institute Pasteur in Cambodia have jointly organized a mass vaccination campaign for dogs in Kampong Cham province's Prey Chhor district on Monday next week. "This is a joint collaborative effort to encourage responsible dog ownership as part of a comprehensive human and dog rabies control program that also builds awareness of the burden of rabies, " said Health Minister Mam Bunheng. If a person is bitten or scratched by a suspected rabid animal, WHO recommends immediate thorough cleansing of the wound and proper medical assessment by a team accustomed to evaluating rabies risks and performing post-exposure prophylaxis. The Institute Pasteur in Cambodia in Phnom Penh is the national reference center for human and animal rabies laboratory diagnosis and provided post-exposure management for 20,000 patients in 2012, the statement said. Dr. Pieter Van Maaren, WHO's Representative in Cambodia, said rabies can be eliminated in Cambodia and the World Rabies Day is a reminder that human rabies has been nearly eliminated in many parts of the world through the mass vaccination of domestic dogs. He said dog vaccination costs as little as 50 U.S. cents per dog and vaccinating dogs is a cost-effective intervention to protect owners, their families and communities. "Nonetheless, controlling rabies in dogs is not without challenges. There needs to be more collaboration between the public health and animal health sectors. Also it is vital to get political commitment and community support," he said. In Cambodia, dogs thrive in rural and urban environments, particularly near markets where food is easily accessible. Even dogs that have owners are often left free to roam the streets.