The second case of rabies in Suceava, a county without anti-rabies serum. Eight people came into contact with a rabid dog

A new case of rabies was confirmed in a dog from Suceava. Eight people came into contact with the sick animal and need treatment. Earlier in the week, four other people found themselves in the same situation.

The head of the Suceava Public Health Directorate, Daniela Odeh, stated that she was informed about the existence of a suspicion of rabies in a dead dog on 10.11.2022, within the radius of the Siret locality. It is about a German Shepherd dog that came into contact with eight people, 4 members of the family that owned the animal and 4 veterinarians from two different offices. Later, the suspicion was confirmed by laboratory tests.

“Laboratory analysis confirmed the presence of rabies in the deceased animal. DSPJ Suceava informed the health units about the rabies case and directed contacts to anti-rabies centers for vaccination. Given the length of time since exposure, only rabies vaccine is administered“, said Daniela Odeh.

If he had presented himself earlier to the medical unit for treatment, the 8 people who came into contact with the sick animal could have received immunoglobulin serum (anti-rabies serum), a treatment considered more effective than the vaccine, but which hospitals in Suceava county do not have it.

Second case in two weeks

Last week, another case of rabies was registered in the county. A Cane Corso dog was taken by its owner to the vet to undergo surgery. The animal had swallowed quite a large amount of stones that the doctors wanted to extract.

Specialists noticed that, in addition to semiparesis, the dog was showing signs of nervousness, and for this reason they decided to test him for rabies. The test came out positive, and the 4 people who came into contact with the animal, two veterinarians, a veterinary assistant and the owner, needed the administration of the anti-rabies serum.

Because the treatment does not exist in Suceava, the representatives of the “St. Ioan cel Nou” and those of the Public Health Directorate started a race against the clock to get the life-saving serum. They knocked on the door of 14 hospitals in the country to collect the 19 doses of anti-rabies serum needed to treat the 4 people.

“We requested the help of the Operative Center for Emergency Situations because we had to identify the medical units from which we could procure the human anti-rabies immunoglobulin (…) In the end, we managed to bring the 19 necessary doses, 4 from Bucharest, 10 from Timisoara and another 5 from Gorj. We benefited from the support of the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, which helped us with the emergency transport of immunoglobulin”, said Daniela Odeh.

Few hospitals in the country still have anti-rabies serum in their pharmacies. The head of DSP Suceava explained that our country was left without an importer for this type of treatment. The problem could be solved in three weeks.

On the other hand, the two rabid dogs that came into contact with 12 people were raised in households in the Siret area and were not vaccinated against rabies. That is why their owners were fined by the representatives of the Veterinary Health and Food Safety Directorate. The director of the institution, doctor Mihai Voloșeniuc, reminded that the anti-rabies vaccination of animals is done free of charge, it is mandatory, and the violation of this legal provision attracts sanctions.