Servindi, September 26, 2010 - Given that vaccines are not being used to counteract rabies in the Awajún and Wampís ethnicities of the Province of Condorcanqui in the Amazonas region, the number of children dying from rabies may increase.
Dr. Fernando Borjas of the Chachapoyas jurisdiction explained that they are facing difficulties due to the fact that these communities are located in such remote areas.
It takes between 12 and 15 hours to reach the Province of Condorcanqui from Chachapoyas, which may only be accessed by dirt road, foot and river.
Borjas indicated that the deaths of "five children due to a rabies outbreak that has lasted various months in the area" have been reported.
The children were bitten by vampire bats, which were carrying the rabies virus. These mammals feed on blood, and they usually bite the heads and toes of children and adults, respectively.
These children belong to the Río Santiago and Oracuza indigenous communities that live in the Province of Condorcanqui in the Amazonas region, which borders Ecuador, and their ages range between 5 and 10 years old.
For this reason, health authorities have already vaccinated 1,700 people against rabies and are carrying out operations to selectively eliminate bats in order to prevent infection.
---
Traducción de Sylvia Fisher para Servindi.
---
Related articles (in spanish):