South Central Timor Regency Government Traces The Origin Of Dogs Infected With Rabies In Fenun Village

Illustration. Health workers from the Livestock Service vaccinated dog seeds. ANTARA/Ho

SOE - The Animal Husbandry and Animal Health Service of South Central Timor Regency (TTS) of East Nusa Tenggara Province is investigating and looking for the origin of infected dogs, thus spreading the rabies virus in Fenun village, South Amanuban District. "Yes, that's right, that's also our question, where did the dog exposed to rabies come from, where did the virus come from, where did it enter the village in the interior," said the Head of the TTS Regency Animal Husbandry and Health Service Drh Dinar AS Ati from So’e City, TTS Regency, Antara, Tuesday, May 30. This was conveyed by him related to the first case of rabies on the island of Timor, especially in TTS Regency which caused 10 people to be bitten and one person was declared dead due to exposure to rabies. According to Dinar, there should be a dog or cat, a single monkey from an exposed area that enters the TTS district, then bites one of the dogs in Fenun village so that it is infected. "The reason is that on the island of Timor so far there has never been a rabies case, so this is the first case on the island of Timor," he added. So far, the areas that are isolated due to rabies in East Nusa Tenggara are on the island of Flores and the island of Lembata, so this is a question for him and the local government.

He also questioned whether there was any possibility of animals exposed to rabies from Lembata and Flores entering Fenun village. Currently, he added, the government is preparing a letter for the closure of the village, but the sub-district has preceded it. He also appealed to residents who have dogs to be immediately grounded. This is to prevent the spread of the rabies virus not only in the village, but also in all areas of South Amanuban sub-district.