“Since we couldn't determine if any dogs were also bitten, which we believe is the case, we are speculating one or two more outbreaks,” said the dzongkhag's livestock officer, Tenzin Dorji.

Since the January 2 outbreak in Khaling, 136 people and 34 cattle had been exposed to the infection in the dzongkhag.

Seventeen people were bitten by rabid dogs while the rest were infected from the saliva of the infected animals and from consuming dairy products of infected domestic cattle.

A total of 107 people in Khaling were suspected of infection during the January 2 outbreak. Seven cows and five dogs were also bitten and infected with the disease.

By January 28, the number of people suspected of being infected by the virus had increased to 129 although health officials in the dzongkhag maintained that the situation was under control.

A mass anti-rabies vaccination (ARV) campaign was launched simultaneously in the dzongkhag's 16 gewogs. Besides cattle, ARV was also administered to over 2,000 dogs out of a total of estimated 3,371 canine population in the dzongkha, according to Tenzin Dorji.

“Post treatment activities are also being carried out in the affected areas,” he told Kuensel. “We are trying to control future outbreaks. We have enough vaccines and the extension agents in the gewogs are carrying out the vaccination and sensitisation on the disease.”

The livestock officer also dismissed the rumours that there were also outbreaks in Rongthong and Rangjung.

However, he pointed that the origin of the outbreak had been traced to neighbouring Trashiyangtse dzongkhag which had an outbreak in February last year. It was followed by an outbreak in Pam, Trashigang, in April where only one case was reported.