7th suspected rabies death reported in Vietnam’s Tay Ninh

The man, identified as D. from Loc Ninh Commune, was bitten on the hand by his unvaccinated dog about a year ago.

After the bite, the victim only rinsed the wound with cold water, a response that health officials said may increase the risk of rabies virus infection rather than effectively reducing it.

The same dog later bit his younger brother on the leg before disappearing. The brother remains in normal health.

Six months ago, D. was also scratched on the shoulder by another dog in his household. The scratch caused minor skin damage without bleeding.

The family owned three small dogs, and after the scratching incident, all three animals later died.

However, family members believed the cause was intestinal disease and allowed others to slaughter them for meat.

On April 5, D. developed symptoms including fatigue, loss of appetite, headache, fever, muscle pain, anxiety, insomnia, fear of water, sensitivity to wind and light, excessive saliva, convulsions, and agitation.

He was hospitalized the next day but was already in critical condition with respiratory failure. His family brought him home, where he later died.

This marks the seventh rabies-related death in Tay Ninh this year, with earlier cases reported in Luong Hoa, Hung Dien, My Hanh, Thanh Dien, Duc Lap, and My An Communes.

Most victims were bitten by dogs belonging to acquaintances or stray dogs.

Authorities said that the current hot weather increases the risk of rabies outbreaks among dogs and cats.

The province is conducting its main rabies vaccination campaign for 2026, but coverage remains low, at only 27,615 doses administered, representing 14.33 percent of the total dog and cat population of 192,730.

The Tay Ninh administration has asked local authorities to treat rabies prevention as a critical responsibility tied to performance evaluations of agencies and leaders.