It’s on the News right now.
After 52 years, Taiwan is experiencing a new rabies outbreak.
So, be careful, don’t touch any cats, dogs and keep away from places where rats could attack you.
http://www.nexttv.com.tw/news/realtime/latest/10773179/絕跡52年！狂犬病再現 飼主心驚
Google translated!
Maybe someone can polish it up.
“Outbreak” may be a bit strong - assuming the China Post is right (a big if!), it was found in three wild Formosan ferret-badgers (what on earth are those?!) in 2012.
From the article linked above:
It does worry me that the Council of Agriculture apparently has known for a year and didn’t inform the Centers for Disease Control. That seems quite the bureaucratic cock-up.
EDIT: Is the Formusan ferret-badger the same animal as the Chinese ferret-badger? That’s got the species name Melogale moschata; the information at something called “Chinese Wikipedia” is shockingly bad; this site suggests the proper scientific name is Melogale moschata subaurantiaca.
They insist that it is contained, that they will distribute free of charge rabies vaccinations for domestic animals, such as cats and dogs, in the areas affected -Yunlin and nearby counties.
This would be a great problem if it does make a comeback, but so far, there is no transmission to other animals. For example, no longer could our pets travel so freely. Plus the deadly danger to humans, of course.
As a precaution, the Gov’t is also enlarging its reserve of rabies vaccinations… for humans.
Well it’s the same COA that ignores the fact that 15% of produce at local markets has pesticides over the legal limit.
In their slight favour though I recall that the test for rabies is not the easiest to do, the gold standard before was some sort of live infection test.
Yes, the third name indicates it’s a “subspecies”:
https://journal.pristine.net/2011/winter/docs/01331948541_pdf.pdf
anyone knows how much a rabies vaccination for dogs cost? We adopted ours about 1 month ago and he got a vaccination from the shelter at the day of the pick up but I don’t know what they gave him.
Took ours today. The rabies jab is a separate jab (Rabisin-R). It is most likely not included in the standard multi-vacination shot (DA2ppVL+CV), though it is possible (is there an “R” in your pet passport? Then it was included). It cost NT900 per animal for both the rabies jab and the booster, but I don’t know how much they were separately. Hope that helps!
And the TV news just said you could be fined if you cannot prove your animal has had the vaccination.
In theory, they should fine all people whose dogs are running around without collars and the city dog tag with the vaccination numbers. If a dog is found without those, they can lawfully haul it into a van and take him to a “shelter”.
Any idea where I can get rabies vaccine for people? The thought of getting rabies is scary enough.
There are way too few in Taiwan, Center for Disease Control has like 200 only.
So in the unfortunate circumstance that anyone got bitten by a rabid animal the hospital most likely has no vaccine?
yep, but I think you have a window of 3 days to get one before there is no turning back. And hopefully they can deliver. The difficult part would be convincing the hospital staff that you NEED a rabies shot -gives as per protocol elsewhere in animal bites cases- since “Taiwan has no rabies”. hence, the conundrum.
Icon hitting the nail on the head. You can imagine the conversation.
I’ve been bitten twice here by aggressive dogs, teeth through clothing and drawn blood. It happens.
Also, how to check they will give you an actual shot and not a placebo just to shut you up?
Scary indeed.
Reminds me of the fact you can’t get a typhoid shot here because Taiwan has no typhoid. Never mind the millions who travel to countries that do have it and then come back. 
Well I guess if you do start getting the early symptom of rabies you can probably just make a scene at the hospital and take hostages…
After all the chances of surviving rabies is practically nil.
The ones that are offered for free (to pets) are these at special stations or any vet?
Yes. My typhoid shot cost me around NT15,000 (round trip to HK). I remember my irritation fondly.
I got a typhoid shot (Typhum Vi vaccine) at N.T.U. Hospital in January before my trip to Nepal. Cost 2,000 N.T. You need to go to the Travel Medicine Section which is part of the Family Medicine Department on the second floor. I think it’s valid for 2 years. I also got a Tetanus shot for 200 N.T. Another time I got a Hep A vaccination from there which involved doing a blood test to see if I’d had it before, and then coming back a week later to have the shot. Cost 2,000 N.T. A booster is necessary 18 months later and then supposedly that’ll give immunity for 10 years. Talking to the doctor there, I think she said they offer Japanese Encephalitis and Rabies vaccines too.
That’s new then, and about time. I too had to go to HK before my trip to Tibet.