Traditionally, the emergency centers take stock in the autumn. How many requests for help have there been? More or less than a summer before? And what stands out? Eurocross has had as many as 52,000 phone calls in two months and is concerned about rabies.
Rabies, also known as rabies, occurs in about 150 countries. A lick, scratch or bite from an infected dog, cat, bat or monkey can be enough to contract an infection. Rabies is deadly and even before the corona pandemic, Eurocross saw the number of reports increase rapidly. Between 2016 and 2018, the number doubled from 163 to 342. “And this summer (from July 4 to September 4) we received no fewer than 130 requests for help. Compared to ten reports in 2021 and 2020,” says Angela Looyé, Manager Corporate Communications.
Most requests for help in July and August came from Indonesia (14 percent), followed by Thailand (12 percent) and Colombia (9 percent). But Looyé emphasizes that rabies is not limited to Asia and South America. “Rabies also occurs in Africa and even in Europe, for example in Poland, Romania, Albania and Turkey.”
She has no direct explanation for the increasing number of reports. “There is more travel, but it may also be that travelers know to call us if they may be infected. We don’t know exactly why it’s rising, but we’re noticing it.”
“In two months we had to repatriate someone eight times”
And Looyé is concerned. “If you have rabies, you will die. It’s that hard and simple. It is incredibly stressful for travelers if they are scratched or bitten. In case of an infection you have to act very quickly. In many cases, antibodies are needed within 24 hours and the big problem in South America is that they are very scarce. If a traveler in South America is infected, there is often only one thing to do: repatriate to the Netherlands as soon as possible and administer the antibodies. Last summer we had to repatriate someone eight times in two months.”
Eurocross conducts qualitative research in collaboration with the Leiden University Medical Center. This shows that sixty percent of people who find themselves in such a situation experience fear. “I remember a traveler in Africa who was bitten by a monkey. She was repatriated and only received the antibodies in the Netherlands. A few months later I spoke to her again and she was still so traumatized that she could barely talk about it. She was still unsure if she could still get it. In most cases, the symptoms come about twenty to ninety days after the infection.”
“Usually the complaints come about twenty to ninety days after the infection”
It is a mystery to Looyé and her colleagues at Eurocross why more attention is not being paid to rabies. “We regularly pay attention to it, but we simply do not reach everyone. Perhaps it is much better to point this out to people when they book a trip. If you get vaccinated in advance when you go to a high-risk destination, it will in any case be a lot less stressful. If you have not done this and you are in doubt after a bite or a scratch, for example because you do not see any blood, please contact our emergency centers. Our care providers know what to look out for. And it’s better to call one too many times than one too few.”
Scarcity of vaccines and antibodies
In addition to the scarcity of the antibodies that are needed after a possible infection, there is also a worldwide shortage of vaccines. Floriana Luppino, doctor at Eurocross, says that the GGD has therefore been instructed to selectively give a vaccination in advance. “For example, only with backpackers who run a clear risk because they walk or cycle in more rural areas.”
According to her, this shifts the problem, because many other people travel unprotected, but also locally have difficulty getting the necessary antibodies. That is precisely why it is especially important to avoid any form of contact with animals, she emphasizes. “Walk around animals with a wide berth and don’t visit risky sights such as a Monkey Forest. And in case of possible contamination, always contact your emergency center immediately.”