Over 100 stray dogs get vaccinated against rabies in Foshan, South China's Guangdong Province on September 23, 2018. Photo: CFP

China's first standard for diagnosis and treatment of injuries caused by animals was issued by the China Association for Disaster and Emergency Rescue Medicine on Saturday to bridge the gap in the field between regions and between urban and rural areas. 

The association organized over 50 medical and health institutions and more than 200 experts across the nation to compile the standard for the prevention and treatment of the injuries caused by more than 20 species of animals such as dogs, cats, snakes, ants, jellyfish and wasps. 

Presently, some grassroots-level medical institutions in China have insufficient experience in treating animal injuries, and their treatment practices are non-standard, which has led to high rates of misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis. 

The National Health Commission aims to strengthen the standardized diagnosis and treatment in animal injury clinic practice and level the gap between different regions and between urban and rural areas, bringing them to similar or equal levels, stated Guo Yanhong, inspection specialist from the Department of Medical Administration and the Division of Medical Institution Management of the National Health Commission, according to media reports. 

Statistics show that as many as 40 million people are injured by cat and dog bites annually in China, and over 300,000 are injured by poisonous snake bites. Furthermore, injuries caused by animals such as wasps, jellyfish and ticks occasionally occur. 

The injuries caused by animals can cause disability and even death, especially the tetanus and rabies, which can seriously threaten people's lives.