DENPASAR – Bali has carried out a mass vaccination of pet dogs to curb a rabies outbreak that has killed four people.
According to AFP about 300 officials fanned out on Saturday across northern Denpasar, the provincial capital, armed with vaccination kits. Other parts of the city have already been covered.
Since the first rabies cases were reported in Denpasar and Badung districts in November, about 24,417 pet dogs had been vaccinated. The department had also put down 1,051 strays.
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 programme 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.
“We’ve received calls from tourists asking about the rabies situation but we haven’t received reports of any tourist being bitten by dogs,” said Bali Tourism Authority head Gede Nurjaya.
