DUSHANBE, June 9, 2011, Asia-Plus -- The Ministry of Health (MoH) has denied rumors about rabies outbreak in Tursunzoda district, some 60 kilometers to the west of Dushanbe  as baseless.

Deputy Health Minister, Azam Mirzoyev, told Asia-Plus Thursday afternoon that no one rabies case has been reported in Tursunzoda since the beginning of this year.  According to him, just several persons have sought medical advice for bites from dogs and other animals.  But all those bites were of mild form and persons returned home after they underwent rabies vaccination.

“According to information we received from the Tursunzoda health department, 19 persons have sought medical advice for animal bites over the past week,” said the deputy minister, “No one of them has been diagnosed with rabies.”

No one rabies case has been reported in the country since the beginning of this year, Mirzoyev added.

According to the statistical data from the Ministry of Health, 15 cases of rabies were reported in Tajikistan in 2010 and seven rabies cases were reported in the country I 2009.  In 2001, 23 cases of rabies were reported in Tajikistan.  On average, some 10-20 cases of rabies are reported in the country annually.