IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT RABIES
Rabies continues to exist Bali. BAWA urges adopters to be pre-vaccinated for rabies. The World Health Organization (WHO) standard for people is now two injections over a one-week period.
All animals should be rabies vaccinated when 3 months old. If the animal was rabies vaccinated younger than 3 months, then a second rabies vaccine is required either at 3 months of age or 1 month after the first rabies vaccines, whichever date is later.
When animals are vaccinated against rabies, it is still possible that exposure may have occurred prior to vaccination. IF an animal is incubating rabies, they may develop symptoms at any time. There is no reliable way to test live animals for rabies. For this reason, please be aware and vigilant about looking for possible signs of rabies in animals under your care.
Rabies is spread through animal bites or transfer of saliva from an infected animal to open wounds, into the eyes, nose or mouth.
Take care to avoid being bitten. Do not let animals lick you on the mouth, in the eyes, in the nose or allow saliva to come into contact with open wounds or broken skin.
The rabies virus does not always present the same symptoms in every animal. If you notice any behavior out of the ordinary, including any of the following, contact BAWA immediately.
- Vicious biting for no reason
- Paralysis
- Difficulty swallowing
- Barking with a strange sound
- Drooping of the lower jaw
- Foaming at the mouth
- Seizures
- Seeking dark places
In the event that you are bitten, and skin is broken, follow WHO protocols as follows:
Wash the wound for 15 minutes with soap and running water and apply betadine/iodine, then seek medical advice immediately.
More detailed information about rabies here: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rabies