Indonesia forms task force to combat rabies in Bali

An alarming increase of rabies cases in Indonesia's resort island Bali has prompted the government to create a team tasked with tackling the deadly disease.

A task force with 186 members has been established to conduct vaccination at four districts in Bali where the disease has contagiously infected dogs in the area, said Ketut Diarmita, director of animal health of the Agriculture Ministry, in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The team is expected to vaccinate dogs in areas considered to see alarming increase, the director said.

Over 200,000 foreign holiday makers visit Bali Island every month with tourists from China making up the majority of it, according to the national statistic bureau.

Animal control and vaccination programs could decrease the risks of rabies from dogs in many parts of the world.

Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute inflammation of the brain in humans and other warm-blooded animals. Endit