Mustafa Erçetin (10), who was diagnosed with rabies in the hospital where he was taken after being bitten by stray dogs in Bitlis and was transferred to Ankara, could not be saved and died despite all the intervention. Regarding the event that deeply affected the country, Emergency Medicine Specialist Dr. Mehmet Tatlı called for people to be cautious in the face of rabies cases. Dr. Tatlı especially warned parents to apply to health institutions in case of suspicious animal contacts of their children.
A DISEASE AS OLD AS HUMANITY
Speaking on the subject, Emergency Medicine Specialist Dr. Mehmet Tatlı reminded that rabies is a very old disease. Stating that rabies, a disease as old as the history of humanity, has fallen off the agenda in recent years, but has come to the fore again with this latest incident. Tatlı said, “Since different diseases have been on the agenda lately, such old diseases have fallen off the agenda. In this sense, there is a decrease in the awareness of our people on these issues,” he said.
IT CAN ALSO BE TRANSMITTED TO PEOPLE THROUGH SALAD
Stating that rabies is transmitted to humans through the deterioration of skin integrity as a result of injury from animal saliva, Tatlı said, “These diseases will continue without a solution until a cure is found. Rabies is a disease that affects animals. This disease is transmitted to humans through saliva. It is a disease seen in dogs, wolves and foxes, and rabies cases from bats can be encountered abroad. Van is a city that is very open to the countryside, the Eastern Anatolia Region is like this again. Moreover, the place where this rabies case took place occurred in the district of Adilcevaz, which is right next to us. A dog is an animal that can travel 50 kilometers per day. These types of infections are diseases that can spread over time in rural areas.
AFTER CONTACT, THE EMERGENCY SERVICE MUST BE SEEN
Tatli warned that citizens, especially those living in the countryside and who are likely to come into contact with animals, should be very careful and said, “Apart from that, nature and city life started to come into contact with each other. It is possible to encounter such cases in city life. For this reason, our people should approach the situation with a high level of consciousness. The most important situation is that rabies is a condition that can be overcome completely harmlessly with the right treatment, the first diagnosis and the correct diagnosis. If we apply to our emergency services and hospitals after a dog or any contact and get our vaccinations, we can continue our lives without any risk of disease.”
“WOUNDS ON THE CHILD’S BODY SHOULD BE INQUIRED”
Expressing that families who bathe their children should question the wounds they see on their bodies, Tatlı continued his words as follows:
“But what we see is that especially our children cannot express themselves fully. Cats or dogs may have frequent contact with such animals, and families remain unconscious in this sense because they cannot express themselves. In particular, we make the following call from our families; When they see any wounds while bathing their children, they should definitely question their children in this sense. Have you had any animal themes? They need to specifically ask about this and they should apply to the nearest health institution quickly.”