Ministry Of Health Reports 2 Regencies In NTT Entering KLB Rabies

Residents of Kupang City, East Nusa Tenggara Province, have started to vaccinate against rabies (ANTARA)

KUPANG - Director of Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases of the Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) Dr. Imran Pambudi said two districts in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) namely Sikka on Flores Island and South Central Timor on Timor Island were designated as areas of rabies Extraordinary Cases (KLB).

"Especially for NTT, there are two districts designated as rabies KLB. The determination of the status of the rabies KLB is carried out by two local regional heads," said Imran Pambudi in an online press statement quoted by ANTARA, Friday, June 2.

According to him, the rabies case on the island of Timor is a new case because the area was previously free of rabies cases.

"Regions exposed to rabies cases must be isolated and all existing dogs must be vaccinated, not just pet dogs, to break the chain of rabies transmission," said Imran Pambudi.

He said rabies cases in NTT were among the highest after Bali Province. rabies dog bites in NTT reached 12,576 cases with 3,437 cases of bites occurring on the islands of Flores and Lembata in 2023.

He added that if there is a case of a bite, residents who are bitten by a rabies dog will immediately go down to the nearest health facility for medical treatment.

Imran Pambudi added that 95 percent of rabies cases in Indonesia were experienced by humans, obtained through the bite of infected dogs.

He mentioned that there are 25 provinces that are endemic to moderate rabies, which are still free of rabies cases, there are eight provinces, namely Riau Islands, Bangka Belitung, DKI Jakarta, Central Java, DI Yogyakarta, East Java, West Papua, and Papua.

In addition, rabies-free islands are Tabuan Island and Pisang Island in Lampung, Meranti Island in Riau, Mentawai Islands in West Sumatra, Sintaro Island in South Sulawesi, then Nunukan Island, Batik Island, and Tarakan Island in North Kalimantan.

According to him, cases of animals reported through the Indonesian Animal Health Information System in 2023 showed 234 cases, spread across ten provinces, namely Bali, Jambi, South Kalimantan, Lampung, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, Riau, South Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, and North Sumatra.

He explained that in order to break the chain of rabies transmission, animals that have the potential to transmit the rabies virus must be vaccinated against rabies. In addition, cross-border supervision is needed so that animals that are suspected of rabies transmission can be prevented from entering areas that are currently free of rabies.