THAILAND: Pet owners in Bangkok are being warned to beware of fake rabies vaccines after the owner of a pet shop at the Chatuchak Weekend Market died of the disease. The owner of Take Care Pet Shop died on February 14. Authorities have not released the woman's name but say she worked at the Public Health Ministry. The pet shop owner died from rabies after being bitten by one of the dogs at her shop, a three-year-old Rottweiler. The dog died later, along with another eight pets at the victim's house.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is running rabies tests on the deceased animals. Thiravat Hemachudha, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University's medicine faculty, said that if the dog was vaccinated against rabies but still contracted the disease, it could indicate the usage of a fake or substandard vaccine. Dr Thiravat, who serves as director of the World Health Organisation's Collaborating Centre for Research and Training on Viral Zoonoses, said anyone bitten by a dog should seek urgent medical care within 48 hours.