A 68-year-old woman from Xuan Que commune, Dong Nai province, died from rabies on 9/5, four months after being bitten by a suspected rabid dog. She chose to treat the wound with folk remedies instead of getting a rabies vaccine, according to the Dong Nai Center for Disease Control (CDC).

The incident occurred in early February when a strange dog, displaying abnormal behavior, entered her home and bit her left hand. The wound was shallow and bled minimally.

Despite family members urging her to get vaccinated, the woman applied medicated oil to the wound and relied on traditional remedies. On 4/5, she suddenly developed severe symptoms, including shortness of breath, hydrophobia (fear of water), and aerophobia (fear of drafts). She was admitted to Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases, where she was diagnosed with "furious rabies, respiratory failure, urinary tract infection, and hypertension."

Her family requested her discharge on the morning of 6/5, and she passed away at home that noon. The Dong Nai CDC highlighted this as a regrettable death stemming from negligence and the dangerous misconception that bites from small dogs, pet dogs, or minor wounds are not serious.

The Dong Nai health sector advises anyone bitten, scratched, or licked on an open wound by a dog or cat to immediately wash the area with soap under clean running water, disinfect it, and promptly seek medical attention for a rabies vaccine and serum. Folk remedies are strictly discouraged.

Rabies is an untreatable disease. Once symptoms manifest, it is 100% fatal. Vaccination or anti-rabies serum is the only effective prevention.

Phuoc Tuan