The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The first case occurred on 31 May, when a 29-year-old army personnel was bitten by a stray dog at the Tareythang army outpost. The dog was later found to be rabid and had bitten three other people: an 8-year-old boy, an 18-year-old woman, and a 5-year-old boy in the first week of July.
The victims were all treated for rabies with the immunoglobulin and anti-rabies vaccinations (ARVS) administered on time. The three other patients, on the other hand, were released because their injuries were not severe. However, the army personnel is in critical condition, as the bite was very close to his nerves on the right thigh.
The army personnel was bitten by the rabid dog while attempting to protect a cat from being bitten by the dog.
Dr Choeda Gyaltshen, the medical superintendent at Central Regional Referral Hospital, said, “It depends on the time, type of bite, and site of bite. The rabies virus travels through the nerve. If the rabid dog has bitten the body part that is very close to the nerve or penetrated the nerve then it is severe.”
The same dog that bit the victim in the recent rabid dog attack also bit four other domestic dogs and stray cats. All of the dogs have been quarantined, while the cats were taken to a veterinary hospital and epidemiology center.
According to the locals, the rabid dog never belonged to anyone and spent all of its time in the army colony. The dog evaded capture, but it is likely the rabid dog is likely to die, as rabies usually kills a dog or other animal 10 days following a bite when it begins to exhibit clinical symptoms
Meanwhile, the residents of Gelephu are asked to be on the lookout for stray dogs and to report any bites immediately so the vaccination can be given as soon as possible.
It was known that the two cows perished next, then a cat passed away immediately from its wounds.
The second rabid dog, meanwhile, perished as a result of oxygen deprivation while being captured.
