Two cases of rabies were reported in the first nine months this year, the city s center for disease control and prevention said yesterday, the day before World Rabies Day.
The two unidentified patients were in Bao an District and both were infected in areas outside Shenzhen.
There were no reports of rabies last year due to the effective control of stray dogs. Five cases were reported in 2008.
Most rabies cases reported in Shenzhen in recent years involved migrant workers who were bitten by dogs in regions outside Shenzhen and had not been vaccinated, the center said.
About 43,891 people were bitten or scratched by animals, such as dogs, cats and mice from January to August this year, about 2,000 fewer than the figure recorded in the same period last year. The highest number of cases 7,554 was recorded in July this year.
About 25 percent of the victims were children aged under 14 and more than 78 percent of cases were caused by family pets.
(Wang Yuanyuan)
