Tak villagers fear for their children catching rabies
Residents of Ban Huai Kalhok in Tambon Mae Pa, in Tak’s Mae Sot district, are living in fear of rabies.
Parents have prohibited their children from going near stray cats or dogs after the Tak Livestock Development officials temporarily declared the village as a rabies disease outbreak zone.
Villager Natthanan Kruachai, 53, said that since the declaration, residents have been afraid and paranoid about strays for fear of contracting the potentially fatal disease.
This village, located three kilometres from the Thai-Myanmar border and reportedly having many stray dogs along the roadsides and on temple grounds, has seen officials vaccinate 170 cats and dogs in the area so far – a task which officials are continuing until the end of this month.
The Department of Livestock Development had previously declared a temporary outbreak zones of rabies in 13 “red alert” provinces with most critical situation, said deputy director-general Jeerasak Pipatpongsopon. The provinces are: Surin, Chon Buri, Samut Prakan, Chacherngsao, Nan, Buri Ram, Ubon Ratchathani, Chiang Rai, Roi Et, Songkhla, Rayong, Tak and Si Sa Ket. Forty-two other provinces were also labelled “yellow zones” and put on a rabies watch.
