From: balilo...@yahoogroups.com [mailto:balilo...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Rucina Ballinger Sent: 12 September 2010 13:44 To: Rucina Ballinger Subject: [balilocal] FW: Deadly Reality Bites in Bali The Sydney Morning Herald September 11, 2010 Deadly Reality Bites in Bali Indonesia is struggling with an outbreak of rabies that has caused many fatalities, writes Chris Vedelago. Australians travelling to Bali are being warned to avoid any contact with animals following a worsening rabies outbreak on the island that has killed dozens of Balinese. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) updated its travel advice for Indonesia following reports that more than 70 people on the island have died from rabies in the past two years after being bitten by dogs. The infection has also spread to Nias Island. The Indonesian government is struggling to contain the outbreak. Post-exposure rabies vaccinations are in chronic short supply at a time when more than 30,000 dog bites have been reported in Bali during the first half of this year. The warning comes as Bali gears up for an influx of tourists following the October release of the movie Eat Pray Love, starring Julia Roberts, which is set on and was filmed around the island. The national medical advisor at medical group Travel Doctor-TMVC, Dr Tony Gherardin, says rabies-infected dogs were brought to Bali on fishing boats in 2008. ''The clear message is that there is now a rabies risk on Bali for tourists,'' Gherardin says. ''If you get bitten by a rabies-infected animal and develop the disease, you will die. ''If you get post-exposure treatment immediately, then your risk of dying reduces dramatically. But the vaccines have only been imported there in very limited amounts, so the likelihood of getting treated is very small. ''People who have been bitten have had to go to Singapore, Darwin or go home to get treatment. It will definitely spoil the holiday.'' It can take days or months for rabies symptoms to appear after being bitten by an infected animal - typically, dogs, cats, bats or monkeys - but once symptoms appear, the disease has a fatality rate of almost 100 per cent within two to 10 days, according to the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC). The DFAT Smart Traveller advice says: ''If bitten or scratched, you should seek immediate medical attention. Availability of post-exposure rabies treatment in Indonesia may be limited, which may require bite victims to return to Australia or travel to a third country for treatment within seven days.'' Post-exposure treatment involves administering an injection of human rabies immune globulin ^ of which there is a world-wide shortage -- and a vaccine injection on the day of the bite and then further vaccinations three days, seven days and 14 days later. The Australian Department of Health reports that this year about 30 Australians a month have sought post-exposure rabies treatment at home after being bitten or scratched in a foreign country. Nearly one-third of those treated were bitten in Bali. There has been no recorded case of overseas-acquired rabies in Australia since 1990. Gherardin warns that the rabies outbreak could get even worse if the disease spreads to other animals, particularly the monkey population that inhabits popular tourist attractions in Bali such as temples and monkey forests. ''The best preventative measure is stay away from animals and animal attractions,'' he says. ''Don't pet a dog or pick up a kitten. Don't go to the monkey forest.'' DFAT, the CDC and the World Health Organisation advise that those who plan an extended stay in Bali, particularly in rural areas, or who will work with animals should consider pre-exposure vaccinations, which reduce the extent of treatment required following a bite. ------ End of Forwarded Message __._,_.___ Reply <mailto:ruc...@indo.net.id?subject=fw:%20Deadly%20Reality%20Bites%20in%20Bal i> to sender | Reply <mailto:balilo...@yahoogroups.com?subject=fw:%20Deadly%20Reality%20Bites%20i n%20Bali> to group | Reply <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/balilocal/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJwaGIwZ3Q0BF9TAzk3M zU5NzE0BGdycElkAzcxMTg2NjkEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDQzNjk1BG1zZ0lkAzM0MzQEc2VjA2Z0c gRzbGsDcnBseQRzdGltZQMxMjg0MjcwMjY0?act=reply&messageNum=3434> via web post | <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/balilocal/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJlaGJiM29nBF9TAzk3M zU5NzE0BGdycElkAzcxMTg2NjkEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDQzNjk1BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA250cGMEc 3RpbWUDMTI4NDI3MDI2NA--> Start a New Topic Messages <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/balilocal/message/3434;_ylc=X3oDMTM0dnY0dDVqB F9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzcxMTg2NjkEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDQzNjk1BG1zZ0lkAzM0MzQEc 2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDdnRwYwRzdGltZQMxMjg0MjcwMjY0BHRwY0lkAzM0MzQ-> in this topic (1) Recent Activity: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/balilocal;_ylc=X3oDMTJlYmthZHI0BF9TAzk3MzU5Nz E0BGdycElkAzcxMTg2NjkEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDQzNjk1BHNlYwN2dGwEc2xrA3ZnaHAEc3RpbW UDMTI4NDI3MDI2Mw--> Visit Your Group <http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJkYTM0dGRnBF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzcxM Tg2NjkEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDQzNjk1BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA2dmcARzdGltZQMxMjg0MjcwMjY0> Image removed by sender. 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