Article from: Agence France-Presse
BALI will carry out mass vaccinations of pet dogs to curb a rabies outbreak that has killed four people and is threatening the Indonesian island's vital tourism industry.
About 300 officials will fan out on Saturday across northern Denpasar, the provincial capital, armed with vaccination kits.
Other parts of the city have already been covered.
"We want to ensure the rabies outbreak does not spread out of Denpasar district,'' provincial animal husbandry department head Ida Bagus Alit said.
"We don't have a target for how many dogs to vaccinate... We'll do as many as possible,'' Mr Alit said.
Since the first rabies cases were reported in Denpasar and Badung districts in November, about 24,417 pet dogs had been been vaccinated.
The department had also put down 1051 strays.
Unlike the rest of mainly Muslim Indonesia, where people do not generally keep dogs, Bali is a Hindu island and dogs are common either as pets or strays.
The Australian embassy said Canberra had provided funds to support the vaccination program after four people died from rabies on Bali since September.
The US embassy issued a warning to its citizens in Indonesia earlier this month about the rabies situation on the island, known for its surf beaches and mountain temples.
Australians and Japanese are the backbone of the tourism industry, which is essential to Bali's economy.
"We've received calls from tourists asking about the rabies situation but we haven't received reports of any tourist being bitten by dogs,'' Bali Tourism Authority head Gede Nurjaya said.
"Bali depends a lot on tourism and the community is cooperating and pet owners are sending their dogs for vaccination.''
BALI will carry out mass vaccinations of pet dogs to curb a rabies outbreak that has killed four people and is threatening the Indonesian island's vital tourism industry.
About 300 officials will fan out on Saturday across northern Denpasar, the provincial capital, armed with vaccination kits.
Other parts of the city have already been covered.
"We want to ensure the rabies outbreak does not spread out of Denpasar district,'' provincial animal husbandry department head Ida Bagus Alit said.
"We don't have a target for how many dogs to vaccinate... We'll do as many as possible,'' Mr Alit said.
Since the first rabies cases were reported in Denpasar and Badung districts in November, about 24,417 pet dogs had been been vaccinated.
The department had also put down 1051 strays.
Unlike the rest of mainly Muslim Indonesia, where people do not generally keep dogs, Bali is a Hindu island and dogs are common either as pets or strays.
The Australian embassy said Canberra had provided funds to support the vaccination program after four people died from rabies on Bali since September.
The US embassy issued a warning to its citizens in Indonesia earlier this month about the rabies situation on the island, known for its surf beaches and mountain temples.
Australians and Japanese are the backbone of the tourism industry, which is essential to Bali's economy.
"We've received calls from tourists asking about the rabies situation but we haven't received reports of any tourist being bitten by dogs,'' Bali Tourism Authority head Gede Nurjaya said.
"Bali depends a lot on tourism and the community is cooperating and pet owners are sending their dogs for vaccination.''
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