Phu Yen General Hospital reported that on 28/4 and 29/4, it admitted five tourists who had been bitten by monkeys near Mui Dien. The patients ranged in age from 9 to 42 years old.
Upon admission, the patients received wound care, risk assessment for exposure, and appropriate vaccination. The 9-year-old boy sustained the most severe injuries, arriving with multiple wounds on his left lower leg. These deep wounds posed a risk of infection and rabies exposure, necessitating close monitoring and administration of anti-rabies serum as professionally indicated.
On the morning of 30/4, one tourist was stable and discharged to return to Ha Noi. Two others remained hospitalized for continued observation.
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Wounds of a tourist bitten by a monkey near Mui Dien. Photo: NVCC |
Vo Hoai Van, Deputy Director of the Dak Lak Provincial Relics Management Board, stated that there are no wild monkeys within the Mui Dien relic site itself. The tourists were bitten on the road leading to Mui Dien, in an area close to a protected forest, approximately 3 km from the tourist site.
According to Van, wild monkey attacks on tourists are rare. The cause may stem from visitors actively approaching and feeding the monkeys along the roadside. Wild monkeys near the Mui Dien relic area are accustomed to people, often approaching to beg for food or tease passing tourists.
Phu Yen General Hospital also warned that while wild monkeys may appear friendly, they pose a risk of sudden attack when provoked, competing for food, or approached too closely.
Tourists should avoid carrying plastic bags of food in areas with monkeys and maintain a minimum distance of 2 m from the animals. Bites can cause soft tissue damage, leading to a risk of rabies and various infectious diseases.
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Wild monkeys can attack people if provoked or competing for food. Photo: Newsweek |
"Even a small bite should not be taken lightly," a hospital representative stated. In the event of a bite, Phu Yen General Hospital recommends immediate wound treatment with medical alcohol or clean water. Afterward, the injured person should be taken to the nearest medical station or hospital for rabies prevention consultation.
Mui Dien, also known as Dai Lanh Cape, is located in Phuoc Tan hamlet, Phu Yen ward, Dak Lak province. It is one of two mainland points in Vietnam, along with Mui Doi in Khanh Hoa province, that welcomes the first rays of dawn. This area has not seen extensive tourism development, thus preserving its wild and peaceful beauty.
Tu Nguyen
