Two family members in Shanghai have died after an attack by a rabid pet dog.

Fengxian District police yesterday acted swiftly, seizing all dogs in Wugu Village, where the tragic incident happened, and four neighboring villages.

Vaccinations were provided for everyone who has come into contact with people bitten by the dog - and all dog owners in those villages.

Another member of the double-death family is still in a critical condition.

The three were attacked by the unlicensed dog on July 3.

According to a member of the family, Di Meifang, the white dog, after two years of normal behavior, "went crazy" that day.

It first bit owner Di Jianming on the hand, but he has yet to show any symptoms of rabies.

The dog then fled to a neighboring house and attacked Di's uncle Di Delin, mother Zhun Zhanxian and grandmother Yao Xiangcui. The family members killed the dog immediately after the attack.

Di's mother and grandmother went to a private clinic in the village to have a vaccination injection, apparently performed by a retired and unlicensed doctor.

On August 9, Di Delin, 64, began to feel uncomfortable and went to hospital for treatment. On August 12, he developed obvious rabies symptoms and was sent to the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center. He died a day later.

Last Tuesday, Zhu Zhanxian, 60, was hospitalized and died after three days.

On the same day Zhu died, Yao Xiangcui, 87, developed symptoms and was yesterday still in a critical state.

(Shanghai Daily September 3, 2007)