In a follow-up on the human rabies situation in Thailand, the Bureau of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Public Health has reported the ninth human fatality due to rabies this year.

Image/CIA
Image/CIA

The cases were from Surin, Songkla, Trang, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buriram, Prachuapkirikan, Phattalung, Nong Khai and Yasothon.

DDC Director-General, Dr. Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, has warned any citizens who have been bitten or scratched by a pet to seek medical advice.

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According to the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, Rabies is a viral disease that is transmitted through the saliva or tissues from the nervous system from an infected mammal to another mammal.

The rabies virus attacks the central nervous system causing severely distressing neurological symptoms before causing the victim to die. Without post exposure prophylaxis (rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin) rabies is nearly a certain death sentence. Rabies is the deadliest disease on earth with a 99.9% fatality rate without post exposure prophylaxis.

Rabies is found on every continent except Antarctica with over 90% of rabies deaths are in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Estimates are that 55,000 people die from the disease every year.

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