United States: A restaurant owner, Nguyen Van B., died from rabies after handling the meat of dogs and cats. He was 33 years old and from the Ba Ria-Vung Tau province.
Nguyen began showing symptoms of rabies three days before he passed away. Even though he hadn’t been bitten by any animal or also it’s actually possible to get rabies by handling the meat of a rabid animal, mainly if there are like some cuts or breaks in the skin. Rabies is really a very serious disease that can be deadly if not treated in time.
Mr. Van B’s main symptoms were fatigue and trouble breathing.
Mr. Van B was taken by his family to the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for all kind of the Tropical Diseases where tests proved he had rabies.
Once it appears, rabies is nearly always fatal and is not treated. Mr. Van B. knew this, so he asked to go home.
Back home his condition quickly worsened, with muscle spasms, frothing at the mouth, confusion as mentioned by the reports in HealthDay.
On 19 December, Mr. Van B was rushed to Ba Ria Hospital, where he remained under continuous sedation until he died of the disease.
Dog and cat meat restaurant owner dies of rabies…Good! https://t.co/LOOb9P1CKY
— Mary Cassidy (@MaryCassidy909) December 27, 2024
In Vietnam, largely in the north of the country, eating dog meat is an old tradition.
While illegal in many parts of the world, it’s perfectly legal to sell and consume dog and cat meat in Vietnam.
According to the World Population Review, technically the US ‘lacks a state law banning the consumption of dogs and cats’.
Yet, according to the statistic and population review site, the Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act prohibits ‘transportation and delivery of dogs and cats for human consumption.’
It adds: ‘As part of the act, however, native rituals are exempted. There are those among the Native American tribes that have active history or tradition of eating dogs, such as the Kickapoo tribe in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
’44 states of America permit dog slaughter in general.’ ‘But the only states that said no dog meat are California, Georgia, Hawaii, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Virginia.’
Dog is a popular dish in Vietnam to be served for special occasion, parties and reunions and is said to have all kinds of health benefits, from a man’s virility to everyday energy and protein.