Looking for Australians who've been exposed to rabies

Hi everyone,

I hope you don't mind me posting on here.
I'm an Australian TV producer and am putting together a story on rabies in Bali - particularly the successful vaccination campaign. As part of my research there are a couple of things I was hoping you and your community might be able to help me with. I'm looking for Australian tourists who've had a rabies scare after a dog bite in Bali - thought you guys might be well-connected with friends or family who've had this experience?
Also I've been told an Australian person died in Bali in February 2011 of "suspected rabies". I was guessing this person might be an expat and wondered if any of you know this person or how I could find out more about them.
Hugely grateful for any tips.
Thanks,

Ali

Hi Ali and welcome to Expat.com!

Hope that you'll soon be enlightened.;)

Harmonie.

Hi Ali,

Good luck in your research, recently there was a documentary made in Bali
called "Island of the Dogs" It shows both sides of the story also The Kintamani Dog was recently accepted by some dog global, organization now as a recognized breed !! These Dogs in the main are faithful protectors of most homes here in Bali, most are not aggressive in the main they will Bark when some one comes close to your Doors. I do not have a Dog. Also I wish you are objective in your reporting My home country Media seems to enjoy tipping the bucket on Bali to hit the headlines Good Luck

aussiehj wrote:

Also I wish you are objective in your reporting My home country Media seems to enjoy tipping the bucket on Bali to hit the headlines Good Luck


Optimist.

Seems there have been about 100 cases in Bali since 2008. (Assuming that site is up to date.)
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/out … ia2008.htm

This information is current as of today, March 29, 2012 at 06:30 EDT


Yep, it is

The Australian press seems to be adding up the numbers from whoeverand reducing the years

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/fe … 6235038365

In less than three years, the disease spread through Bali's 300,000 street dogs and killed more than 130 people.


Time to worry the readers.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/he … 6235103495

EXPERTS battling a rabies epidemic in Bali are warning Australians to brace for the arrival of the disease.


Eventually, past the attention span of most of its thicker readers, it gets round to mentioning..

"We don't know if the threat will be there in one year, in five years, in 10 years, or in 20 years -- it's just a likelihood that the threat will come."


http://www.health.vic.gov.au/chiefhealt … rabies.htm

This official government site is more real.

A good search shows one Australian reported with the disease in Bali or anywhere else in Indonesia but little detail like facts never stops the gutter end of the press making up any rubbish it thinks will sell its tripe to gullible idiots.
The only known case seems to have been an elusive bloke/woman called Blair Beatie who was bitten, immunised but nothing to confirm he/she actually had the disease that I can find - just suggestion.
Blair doesn't have a facebook page, doesn't seem to be on twitter  or come up in any searches at all. I assume he/she exists in more than the mind of some reporter.

Seems, according to

http://beatmag.com/daily/latest-news/au … escue.html

140 Aussies needed shots for rabies but no actual cases. Perhaps the gentlemen concerned were a bit worried about hype rather than actual problems. Assuming that wasn't a lie by another gutter press reporter. Such things have been known.
It also mentions 120 Aussies went home with the clap.
I wonder they were part of the 140 and they were dating the rabid dogs that the Australian press insists are on every street corner.

Expecting fair reporting from the press. Expect a shower of gold tomorrow morning, it's just as likely.

This guys says he's a TV producer but can't do a simple google search or few and realise there is a pile of hype and not that much more.
If he isn't that daft, he's out to create a sensation to fatten his wallet.

To the OP. Read the BBC from London. They have reporters employed there. You may pick up some tips.
Their news seems to be in line with government sites and there is no silly hype.
Even Wikipedia does a better job than the Australian media.

Time for a coffee after all that doing his job for him.
PM me for details of how to pay my fee.

Hi guys,

Thanks for your responses.
According to the main rabies clinic in Denpasar, 138 Balinese have died of rabies since 2008, which I think qualifies it as a serious issue worthy of attention.
I'm familiar with the articles you posted, thanks. What I'm looking for, more than links to articles, is personal connections you guys might have to Australians who've been bitten in Bali and had to seek rabies treatment. According to Australian government figures there are well over a hundred each year.
Not all reporters have bad intentions, and we often hunt for interviewees in unexpected places - including forums like these. If any of you can offer connections to people you know I'd be very appreciative. If not, no problem. I'm also a woman, not a guy.
Thanks again,

Ali

Being an English gentleman, I may not have been quite so direct if you'd had a female avatar at first.
That and I must apologise for my rampant sexism in assuming all Australian TV producers were beer swilling blokes.
Of course, had I been more inclusive and open minded, I would have realised some were beer swilling women.
Now the stereotypes are out of the way, perhaps the press would have picked up on such things as the massive number of infected Australian tourists returned home and told their stories.
Perhaps they were keeping it quiet because of the dose they picked up at the same time. I knew all that about Aussies and sheep was a myth; it seems rabid dogs are the new thing.

Now to engage brain.

What has the Jakarta post got to say about it?

http://www.thejakartapost.com/search?se … &submit=GO

They agree with the 138 figure (Close enough).

Jakarta globe?

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/pages/se … es&x=0&y=0

They have less to say but, like the post, mention a drop in cases and not a lot of panic.

It did toss this piece up in my searches.

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/afp/firs … -us/489424

US researchers said Thursday they have created the world's first genetically modified monkeys by merging cells from up to six different embryos, in what could be a big advance for medical research.


I understand these monkeys are now employed with "The Australian" newscomic as their top flight reporters.
Seems to be a big advance for the Australian newspaper industry as well and the monkeys take shorter lunch breaks.
Bonus.

Anyway, in the spirit of being helpful, read this.

http://martinadonkers.wordpress.com/tag/rabies-in-bali/

Perhaps you have a potential employee there. Sounds like a bright lass.

I wonder what a sensationalist, demi invented story of that nature would do for Bali.
The island depends heavily on tourism for its income.
That income filters down from the tourist traps to the poorest who get work because the tourists are there.
Let's, just for a moment, imagine some producer managed to make a program, get it on air and scared the willies out of a a load of tourists who went to Thailand to get a dose of clap instead, what would happen?
There is rabies in Thailand but such a piece would totally neglect to mention that.
The tourist income in Bali would drop and put a load of people out of work.
There would be no gain to anyone except a heartless producer who could laugh all the way to the bank without the slightest thought for the poor sods she'd put into poverty.

Think positive. She could go on to make another flick about poverty and what it's like as a street dweller on the island of the dogs, sorry about the dyslexia, gods.