Saturday, June 7, 2025
  • Contact Us
  • About BBS
  • Privacy & Policy
ENG
DZO
BBSCL Logo
  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Education
  • More
    • Announcement
    • Audience Survey Report
    • Programme
    • Radio Dzo-Channel Schedule
    • Radio Mix-Channel Schedule
Radio Live
No Result
View All Result
BBSCL logo
  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Education
  • More
    • Announcement
    • Audience Survey Report
    • Programme
    • Radio Dzo-Channel Schedule
    • Radio Mix-Channel Schedule
No Result
View All Result
BBSCL logo
Radio LIVE

Bhutan hopeful of eliminating human rabies deaths despite cross-border transmission challenges

July 28, 2023
in Health, Livestock, Other Stories
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
0
SHARES
24
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

With recent outbreaks of rabies reported in some districts, the disease still remains a public health concern. However, the National Centre for Animal Health remains hopeful of eliminating human rabies deaths in the next seven years. For now, the centre says the challenge still remains with Bhutan sharing a porous border in the south.

Every year, the country has been reporting rabies cases. With 20 cases each, 2020 and 2021 recorded the highest number of rabies outbreaks.

This year, a total of eight outbreaks of rabies were reported in the country so far. The places of outbreak were in Samtse, Pema Gatshel, Samdrup Jongkhar, Sarpang and Chhukha.

From the reported outbreaks, in the last one decade, four human rabies deaths were reported in the country, one each in 2013, 2016, 2020 and 2023. The rabies virus is infected to humans through the bite of an infected animal, mostly dogs. If left untreated, it is 100 per cent fatal. In Bhutan, most human rabies infections and deaths were caused by dog bites.

“Currently, the outbreaks are only restricted in the southern parts of the country where these areas share a porous border with the neighbouring states of India. Due to the porous nature of the border, there is free and unregulated movement of animals due to which there is movement of rabid animals across the border,” said Sangay Rinchen, Programme Director of the National Centre for Animal Health.

In 2022 and 2023, the Nationwide Accelerated Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Programme sterilised more than 61,000 dogs in the country. Over 58,000 of the total were vaccinated against rabies achieving 94 per cent vaccination coverage. The centre says that with the continued implementation of different measures, they are hopeful to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies in Bhutan before 2030.

“If you really look into this, it is not only Bhutan that is implementing measures like mass dog vaccination, conducting awareness campaigns so that people are aware of what they have to do if they are exposed to suspected animals, as well as educating the community and engaging stakeholders towards achieving this goal. Although it’s very unfortunate we had a recent human case of rabies, it’s a big offset to the progress we have been making so far but through these efforts in all the countries in the region as well as in the globe that is taking place, we are confident that we can achieve elimination of dog mediated human rabies by 2030,” said Sangay Rinchen.

According to an Indian media outlet, more than 300 people died due to rabies in India last year. Neighbouring state West Bengal reported the maximum cases after Delhi. The disease is also endemic in India.

Samten Dolkar

Edited by Kipchu

Previous Post

Thimphu Police arrest fake trade inspector

Next Post

Number of tigers in Bhutan reaches 131

Next Post
Number of tigers in Bhutan reaches 131

Number of tigers in Bhutan reaches 131

Thimphu city bus users voice concerns over expressway priority lane

Thimphu city bus users voice concerns over expressway priority lane

Jamdogoenpa Lhakhang in Haa suffers wall collapse

Jamdogoenpa Lhakhang in Haa suffers wall collapse

Please login to join discussion

RECOMMENDED NEWS

Four new butterflies species discovered in Bhutan

Four new butterflies species discovered in Bhutan

8 years ago
7
Kela farm road blacktopping in full swing

Kela farm road blacktopping in full swing

3 years ago
3
Over 52,000 tourist arrivals in the last eight months, Department of Tourism says trend positive

Over 52,000 tourist arrivals in the last eight months, Department of Tourism says trend positive

2 years ago
5

MoU to ensure continuous petroleum products supply

13 years ago
1

BROWSE BY CATEGORIES

  • Accidents (14)
  • Agriculture (426)
  • Announcement (174)
  • Audience Survey Report (1)
  • Business (744)
  • Crime/Legal (367)
  • Culture (47)
  • Development (51)
  • Disaster (57)
  • Economy (277)
  • Education (412)
  • Entertainment (13)
  • Environment (60)
  • Feature (65)
  • Featured (6)
  • Festival (78)
  • GMC (14)
  • Headlines (6)
  • Health (622)
  • Legal (52)
  • Literature (9)
  • Livestock (75)
  • Media (25)
  • Other Stories (5,574)
  • Politics (419)
  • RCSC (1)
  • Recent stories (5)
  • Religion (45)
  • Sci/Tech (709)
  • Social (515)
  • Sports (449)
  • Technology (190)
  • Tourism (19)
  • Uncategorized (13,866)
  • Video (136)
  • Video Story (249)
  • Wildlife (42)

BROWSE BY TOPICS

Tender Announcement Vacancy Announcement

POPULAR NEWS

  • BPC’s investigation rules out transformer short circuit as Damchhu forest fire cause

    Viral video of Bhutanese man assaulted by locals and police in Jaigaon sparks safety concerns

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Gelephu Mindfulness City opens recruitment drive for Bhutanese professionals

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Newspaper accuses DPT candidate of political ploy

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • A centenarian’s recipe to longevity

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 40 companies risk closure over failure to submit financial reports

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
BBSCL

Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) is Bhutan’s primary national broadcaster, delivering diverse news and entertainment in multiple languages, fostering cultural understanding and public knowledge.

Follow us on social media:

Recent News

  • RMA to roll out seven new measures for loan repayment support
  • National Housing Strategy to be ready by September
  • Bhutan begins NFT sales, to preserve heritage
  • City bus viability raised in parliament, MoIT minister cites past privatisation failures
  • Paro MP questions airport expansion impact on affected landowners

News Category

  • Accidents
  • Agriculture
  • Announcement
  • Audience Survey Report
  • Business
  • Crime/Legal
  • Culture
  • Development
  • Disaster
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Feature
  • Featured
  • Festival
  • GMC
  • Headlines
  • Health
  • Legal
  • Literature
  • Livestock
  • Media
  • Other Stories
  • Politics
  • RCSC
  • Recent stories
  • Religion
  • Sci/Tech
  • Social
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Tourism
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • Video Story
  • Wildlife
  • Contact Us
  • About BBS
  • Privacy & Policy

© 2024 BBSCL. All rights reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Education
  • More
    • Announcement
    • Audience Survey Report
    • Programme
    • Radio Dzo-Channel Schedule
    • Radio Mix-Channel Schedule

© 2024 BBSCL. All rights reserved.