A free-ranging dog with probable rabies consecutively bit seven people in Phu Yen Province, south-central Vietnam before locals beat it to death early this week, a health official confirmed on Tuesday.

The dog, whose owner remains unknown, attacked the victims in Xuan Thanh Ward of Song Cau Town at around 5:00 pm on Monday, said Chau Trong Phat, director of the Phu Yen Center for Disease Control.

These victims include five aged between four and 17, according to the Song Cau Medical Center.

Local health agencies encouraged the victims to visit the nearest healthcare facilities to get medical care and undergo an epidemiological investigation.

The Xuan Thanh administration told its subordinate units to find the owner of the suspected rabid dog, which was already fatally battered and had its carcass destroyed by local residents following its attack on the victims.

However, it is hard to search for the dog owner as they may deny owning an animal with suspected rabies, a local official said.

Nguyen Van Lam, head of the provincial animal health sub-department, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that local authorities need to ramp up efforts to encourage residents to vaccinate their pets against rabies.

Those failing to comply with rabies vaccination requirements should be punished, Lam said.

He recommended dog and cat owners to keep their animals muzzled.

If they found their animals are rabid, they should report it to animal health authorities or cull the sick animals, he continued.

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