CRI听力:Taiwan Orders More Vaccine after Rabies Outbreak

Authorities on Taiwan have ordered tens of thousands of doses of the rabies vaccine.

The move comes amid the first rabies outbreak on the island in more than 50 years.

Health officials have been struggling to contain the outbreak since July 17th after authorities first confirmed the disease in a ferret.

Since then, 17 more ferrets have been found carrying rabies.

So far no humans have been affected.

The new doses of the human vaccine are expected to arrive in Taipei tomorrow.

Currently health authorities on Taiwan only have 3-thousand doses in stock.

Lin Bin-zhe is with the Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office in New Taipei City.

"The reason we are giving vaccinations to pets in the area near the mountain is because they have a high chances of encountering wild animals. So, to protect these pets from wild animals, we start in this area first. Also shots are given near sea ports because we are worried about smuggled animals from overseas."

Health workers have also been vaccinating household pets to try to control the outbreak.

There are around 40-thousand animal vaccine doses available on Taiwan.

Another half-million are expected to arrive in just under 3-weeks.

Word of the rabies outbreak has many pet owners on Taiwan nervous.

"It's best not to go out right now, stay home and not taking chances. If we run into Asian rats, then we will have problem, because sometimes dogs would eat those dead animals."

"I am worried because my dog bites and sometimes could be aggressive."

Taiwan's last reported rabies case was in 1959.

Rabies is a viral disease that causes inflammation of the brain in warm-blooded animals.

It can spread from one species to another, usually through bites. If untreated, it can be fatal.