Effective Ways to Prevent Rabies Outbreaks: A Comprehen

To effectively prevent rabies, it's crucial to tackle the issue at its root. In urban settings, the primary threats come from rodents, dogs, and cats. Therefore, conducting effective rodent control and ensuring that dogs and cats are vaccinated against rabies is of utmost importance. It is recommended to vaccinate dogs and cats older than three months against rabies. Our Animal Disease Control Center conducts annual sampling and monitoring of rabies immunity antibodies in dogs and cats that have been vaccinated with the rabies vaccine for more than four weeks.

Although the incidence of rabies in Shanghai is low, there is still a risk of transmission. Therefore, if you are bitten or scratched by a dog or cat, it is essential to promptly seek treatment at a dog bite clinic to clean the wound and receive the rabies vaccine.

But how can we prevent being bitten by dogs? Here are some tips:

1. Avoid approaching dogs that are sleeping, eating, or on alert.

2. Do not approach a dog that is playing with its puppies, and never try to take the puppies away.

3. Do not pull a dog's ears or tail.

4. Do not stare directly into a dog's eyes.

5. Do not take away a dog's food, toys, or bones.

6. Stay away from stray dogs.

7. Do not approach dogs that are chained up.

8. When encountering a dog, do not suddenly reach out to pet it or run away.

9. If an unattended dog approaches, do not run or scream loudly; instead, remain still and calm.

Be cautious if you notice the following signs in a dog:

1. The dog's ears are pulled back tightly against its head.

2. The dog's legs are stiff.

3. The dog's fur on its back is standing on end.

4. The dog's teeth or gums are visible when it looks fierce.

In the event of a dog bite, here are some firstaid measures you can take at home:

1. Gently peel back the skin around the wound and apply pressure to remove any fluid.

2. Wash the wound with soap or 0.1% chlorhexidine solution for half an hour, then rinse thoroughly with plenty of clean water.

3. Afterward, use 5% iodine alcohol or 75% alcohol to clean the wound repeatedly.

4. Do not bandage the wound; seek medical attention immediately and get the rabies vaccine.

By taking these preventive measures, we can keep ourselves safe from rabies.