1.5 million Aussie travellers warned of hidden health risk on popular holiday island
Dr Tania Bishop is concerned that people 'don't think twice' about feeding monkeys or allowing them to jump all over them in Bali, even though there's a risk they could be carrying rabies. Tourists are less likely to come into contact with stray dogs, but they are the animal that most commonly bites locals. Last year, 39,000 people were bitten by rabies-infected animals, and at least four people died, including a four-year-old child.
'It's endemic in a lot of countries up north. Any mammal could potentially have it,' Bishop told Yahoo News.
Australia has a reputation that everything will kill you, but if you stay away from crocodiles and snakes, then there are few real concerns other than swooping magpies or the large and relatively harmless huntsman spiders. So most of the country's population isn't used to thinking about animal viruses, and when they're five Bintangs in after lunch at the beach club, and getting a little too confident with the wildlife, it's a recipe for trouble.
Roughly 1 to 1.5 million Aussies visit Bali each year, and until 2008 they had little to worry about as the island was considered rabies-free. But it's believed the animal smuggling led to its establishment, and now there are regular outbreaks.
Rabies is also known to also occur in Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and China. And despite the disease being entirely preventable, more than 59,000 people die from infections each year, most of them in Asia and Africa.
Symptoms include hallucinations, a fear of water, and a fever. Anyone who comes into contact with an infected animal is urged to seek immediate medical treatment.
😳 Australia called out for 'failing' two rare species facing extinction
🚨 Mass bird poisoning fears at suburban shopping centre
🦁 Zoo defends $180 experience after video 'stunt' sparks concern
While Bishop is not advocating for everyone to get vaccinated before visiting Bali or Thailand, she believes anyone travelling to countries with rabies should know the risks and consider their options. Because once symptoms begin to appear and an infection is established, there is no cure.
'You're better safe than sorry, because once you're sick with it, it's fatal. It's not the nicest vaccine regime, but it's better than the alternative,' she said. 'It's important to talk to your doctor about risk versus benefit.'
Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Wild pigs found with blue-dyed meat in California. Why officials are issuing a warning
Wildlife officials said multiple wild pigs in central California were exposed to pesticide bait that caused their tissue to turn blue earlier this year. In March, a wildlife trapper reported blue muscle or fat discovered in wild pigs in the Monterey County area, about a two-and-a-half-hour drive south of San Francisco, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The CDFW's Wildlife Health Lab later found a rodenticide bait, known as anticoagulant rodenticide diphacinone, in the stomach and liver of one of the pigs. The pigs were exposed to the blue-dyed diphacinon by either consuming the bait themselves or eating other animals that ingested it, CDFW explained. It's unclear how many pigs were exposed, but CDFW Information Officer Krysten Kellum told USA TODAY there were multiple and that the health lab only received one sample. Kellum added that the department has not seen any more reports of similar exposure in wild pigs since then. Between 2021 and 2021, CDFW documented rodenticide exposure in 19 out of 30 tested black bears in California, one out of one tested wild pig and zero out of two tested black-tailed deer, Kellum said. "We greatly appreciate reports coming from hunters regarding observations of blue tissues and other abnormalities in harvested wild game," Kellum said in a statement. "These reports can help by alerting us to potential impacts to wild game and other non-target wildlife across the state." CDFW warns both pesticide users and wildlife hunters CDFW officials warned pesticide applicators to avoid applying rodenticides in areas used by wildlife that are not the target of the poisoning. They are also encouraged to use bait stations and application methods that are not accessible to non-target species, such as wild pigs. The CDFW also urged hunters to consider the risk of rodenticide exposure in the wildlife they hunt, warning that blue discoloration may not always be present. "Hunters should be aware that the meat of game animals, such as wild pig, deer, bear and geese, might be contaminated if that game animal has been exposed to rodenticides," CDFW Pesticide Investigations Coordinator Dr. Ryan Bourbour said in a news release posted July 30. Hunters are encouraged to avoid consuming animals with blue tissue and report any unusual findings in harvested wildlife to the CDFW's Wildlife Health Lab at WHLab@ or (916) 358 - 2790. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California officials issue warning after blue-dyed meat found in pigs
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Aussie shoppers urged to boycott common $6 product amid toxicity concerns
Aussie shoppers are being urged to boycott a line of toxic items sold openly at retailers including Bunnings, Mitre 10, Coles and Woolworths for little more than $6 a packet. While many poison baits pose little harm to the environment, some products contain chemicals that are killing off the nation's beloved backyard species like tawny frogmouths and boobook owls. Even more worryingly, these second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) are stocked beside less harmful alternatives on shelves, making it near impossible for consumers or even staff to know the difference. Other countries like the United Kingdom and Canada have restricted their use, and in Australia, 281 experts, including vets, doctors, farmers, scientists, and conservationists, have signed an open letter calling for it to be withdrawn from consumer sale and used only by experts. The government regulator, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), has been reviewing their regulation here since 2021. A ruling on its future use was expected in mid-2024, and on Thursday, Yahoo News confirmed the decision had been delayed for a third time. Further to this, the APMVA is yet to advise when its review will be complete. 'This is requiring more time than was anticipated, however the APVMA is devoting extensive resources to ensure that an appropriate proposal is published as soon as possible,' an APVMA spokesperson said in an email. Consumers urged to do their research before buying baits Conservation non-profit group BirdLife Australia has campaigned against the consumer sale of SGARs since 2018, and has held multiple discussions with suppliers about their sale, pleading to no avail for them to be restricted. In June, Yahoo News asked Coles, Woolworths, Bunnings and Mitre 10 if they were willing to withdraw them from sale. All said they would comply with directives legislated by the APVMA. BirdLife Australia is prepared to keep waiting for an APVMA decision if it means the data is being reviewed in detail. But in the meantime, it wants consumers to do their research and boycott SGARs. Spokesperson Sean Dooley warns that shoppers will need to look closely at the packaging, because although major brands carry labels differentiating between first-generation baits and SGARS, this information can be hard to spot. 'It's so difficult to know which ones are the villains,' he said. 'There's no real help from the labelling or the way it's presented on shelves at any stores recently.' How do SGARs harm Australia's wildlife? Mounting evidence suggests the baits are killing and harming a growing number of animals, including eagles, frogs, reptiles, quolls and devils. Unlike first-generation alternatives, they remain in the environment, building up toxicity in the bodies of animals that eat poisoned mice and rats. Even if an owl or an eagle isn't directly killed, the chemicals can impair their judgment, likely hindering their ability to hunt and increasing the chance they'll be struck by a vehicle. Because SGARs are blood thinners, other victims simply bleed out from the inside and slowly die. Australia greenlights plan to build airport road through rare animal's grassland home Authorities caught unlawfully using 'cruel' devices to catch dingoes Alarm raised after strange backyard phenomenon worsens in Aussie region The APVMA said it is aware of "the high level of public interest" in the outcome of its review. But it is not convinced it needs to quickly rule on the matter. "If the APVMA becomes aware of data which indicates the use of a chemical in accordance with the label has the potential for imminent harm to people, animals, the environment or to trade, we have regulatory mechanisms through which we can take immediate and appropriate action. No data we have reviewed indicates the risk of imminent harm," it said. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Mum and daughter travel 10,000 miles for Edinburgh Tattoo but are left in disbelief
An Australian mother and daughter who travelled over 10,000 miles for the Edinburgh Tattoo were left 'in disbelief' after it was cancelled. Cynarra Baker and her mother Sharon flew from Newcastle, in New South Wales, starting their journey on July 24. The pair stopped off in Dubai, before a mini-holiday in Paris and then on to the capital - with the total flight time adding up to almost 24 hours. The Baker family first dreamed of coming to the Edinburgh Tattoo after Cynarra's grandmother, Flo, told her she would love to come - but they needed a few years to save. While Flo passed away in 1997, the Bakers never given up on her dream of coming to the capital for the annual extravaganza. READ MORE: Edinburgh driver rages 'you don't do that' as row breaks out in middle of Festival READ MORE: First picture of 'family man' after tragedy at Scottish ice rink as tributes pour in Almost 30 years later, Sharon and Cynarra finally arrived in Edinburgh. They had travelled for 13 hours and 45 minutes from Sydney to Dubai, with a seven hour journey onto France - before another two hour flight to Edinburgh. Cynarra, who has two children herself, said they were in 'utter disbelief' after getting the update on the morning of the Tattoo. They were staying at the Murrayfield Hotel the night before the show, which they had tickets for on August 4. Cynarra, who retired from the Airforce in 2016 and has worked as a carer since, said she couldn't sleep with excitement - buzzing with anticipation. She woke up and checked her emails, to find out that Storm Floris meant the performance wouldn't be happening. The Bakers fly back to Australia on Sunday, August 10, and admitted that any tickets available during the rest of their time in Scotland would be far too expensive - and scupper the rest of their plans. After checking online Cynarra found tickets for around £650 each - and knew that 'wasn't going to happen'. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox Instead of getting ready and heading out to the Tattoo on Monday, the pair hunkered down with a bottle of wine and some Netflix while avoiding the storm. Now, they're up in Inverness 'learning about the Highlander way of life' - which is perfect for two 'massive Outlander fans'. After they were contacted by Edinburgh Live, a spokesperson for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo confirmed they would like to speak with Cynarra and Sharon to explore options of 'how to make their dream of seeing the Tattoo come true'. The Tattoo's CEO Jason Barnett admitted the Bakers tale was 'especially gut-wrenching' and he 'shared their disappointment'. We spoke with Cynarra after the Monday nights cancellation, who told us: "When I was a teenager I asked my grandmother if she wanted to come to the Edinburgh Tattoo at the castle in Scotland. "My nana's response was 'oh my, I'd love to go with you'. I told her to give me a few years to save, once I have a full time job, and we'll go. "I joined the Royal Australian Airforce in 1996 and my grandmother passed in 1997. But that dream never left me. "Life happened, and mum said she really wanted to come to the tattoo with me as as well. But my dad would never leave Australia for a holiday." After Cynarra's father passed away in December 2023, she suggested to her mum that the pair go together. They booked the trip in February, and spent months looking forward to it. Arriving from a stop off in Paris on August 2, the duo were 'so excited' to be heading to the Tattoo on August 4. By the time they were in Scotland, an amber weather warning for Storm Floris had been issued. Cynarra recalled: "Mum and I were staying at Murrayfield Hotel. I had a terrible sleep so excited to be going to the Tattoo the next night and we had booked a tour with Rabbies departing at 8.15am. "I got up and I checked my emails to check the departure time as we had to check in 30mins before departure to find an email saying the tour for the day had been cancelled as well as the Tattoo because of Storm Floris. It's uncanny they named the storm Floris as my grandmothers nickname was Flo. "I laid in disbelief and asked my mum if she was awake. I then read the email out to my mum, both of us were just silent. Mum just said 's**t'. Well I'm staying in bed then. I emailed our travel agent in Australia. "He was gutted. I checked tickets for the next night all that was available was £650 each tickets so about £1400 each so we knew it wasn't going to happen. "Both mum and I sat in our room absolutely in disbelief. What are odds of this happening." The duo allowed themselves a bit of time to be disappointed by the news, before continuing on with their holiday. They told us: "We had a nice breakfast at Murrayfield and watched Netflix all day, purchased a bottle of wine and went to bed. Now we're looking forward to going to Inverness!" Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages While the news was 'devastating' for the Bakers, they had other plans while here in Scotland. The pair got hire car and drove to Corriefodly Holiday Park, planning to do day trips to various spots. As for returning to the city another year, and a second go at the Tattoo, Cynarra isn't so sure. She added: "Mum says definitely no as she is 70-years-old. For me I'm not sure, as I love this place it feels like home to me." The family are heading up north to 'learn more about the history of Scotland', with Cynarra looking forward to standing 'where the Highlander way of life changed'. She added: "I am a huge Outlander fan, and learning about he history of Scotland battle of Culloden Field is a must experience for me. "Just to stand where the highlander way of life changed will be an experience that needs to be felt. We might nip over to Aberdeen as well." Jason Barrett, CEO at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said "Hearing that Cynarra and Sharon have travelled from as far as Australia and won't be able to see the Show as a result of our cancellation is especially gut-wrenching and I share their disappointment. "While we can't control the weather, we are exploring options as to how we can make their dream of seeing the Tattoo come true."
