The Jakarta Provincial Health Service said that despite a rise in Rabies Transmission Animal Bites (GHPR) cases of 206 reports in June 2023 from several hospitals and health centres in Jakarta, the capital city is still rabies-free.
Nabila Salama, the chief of the health service’s Surveillance and Immunisation Section, said that a total of 1,733 GHPR cases—up from a total of 1,527 instances in May 2023 by 206 rabies cases—had developed in Jakarta by the end of June.
Five hospitals in Jakarta, including two referral hospitals, two public hospitals, and one private hospital, reportedly found that there were 1,733 instances of GHPR in June 2023, Salama stated on Sunday, the 2nd of July 2023.
According to Salama, dogs, cats, monkeys, and bats were the sources of the GHPR incidents. Salama claimed no confirmed rabies or animal bite-related fatalities in Jakarta in 2023, based only on the number of persons bitten by animals reported.
Regarding the Decree of the Minister of Agriculture Number 566/Kpts/PD.640/10/2004 about the Declaration of Jakarta Province as Rabies Free, Jakarta has been declared rabies-free since 2004, and this status has persisted.
Salama urged communities to avoid particular areas where there are many stray dogs to prevent attacks. “We call for prevention to be carried out with more sensitivity for children, the elderly, disability groups, animal caretakers, and other communities,” Salama said.
The Jakarta health service also urged people to work with their community to minimise dog and cat attacks, especially in residential areas.
Salama noted that owners of dogs and cats should regularly vaccinate their pets against rabies at the local veterinary clinic.
Salama stated that, of the 418 instances reported to the Jakarta GHPR between January and June 2023, the majority came from outside the region.
One hundred fifty-four instances were reported for South Jakarta, 156 for Central Jakarta, 260 for West Jakarta, 369 for East Jakarta, and 736 for North Jakarta.
A total of 802 cases of GHPR were reported at Tarakan General Hospital and 926 cases at Sulanti Saroso Hospital, two referral hospitals for rabies in Jakarta.
To protect dogs, cats, and other rabies-transmitting animals (HPR) in Jakarta from the disease, the Jakarta Marine and Agriculture Food Security Service (KPKP) previously said that it would continue to enhance policies and strategies.
To reach its vaccination goal for rabies, the Jakarta provincial government will immunise 43,000 HPRs. Currently, the realisation rate is 37.7 per cent. 3.146 dogs and 13.280 cats have been immunised against rabies up to this point.
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