Karnataka - Bangalore

Rabies cases increasing

Bangalore: Non-availability and irregular supply of anti-rabies vaccine and immunoglobulins, specially in government hospitals, and low awareness among people about the need to take complete post-exposure treatment after being bitten by a dog are the primary reasons for the increasing cases of rabies here, M.K. Sudarshan, president of Rabies in Asia Foundation.

Addressing presspersons on the eve of World Rabies Day here on Friday, Dr. Sudarshan said 20,000 people in India die of rabies every year.

Complete treatment included proper cleaning of wounds, administration of modern rabies vaccine and in case of severe wounds on the face and hands, injecting of immunoglobulins (anti-rabies serum) into the wounded area to kill any virus that may be present.

“Poor people who go to government and corporation hospitals may not be aware that they have to take five doses of the anti-rabies vaccine for it to be effective and many times they are administered only one dose.

“Many doctors themselves are not aware of the need to administer immunoglobulins in case of severe bites and do not inform patients,” Dr. Sudarshan said. He said that the vaccine should be administered within 24 to 48 hours of the dog bite.

D.H. Ashwathnarayan, Associate Professor of Community Medicine at KIMS Hospital and secretary-general of the Association for Prevention and Control of Rabies in India (APCRI), said according to the door-to-door survey taken up by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike after two children were mauled to death by stray dogs earlier this year, there are 3.25 lakh dogs in Bangalore, 60 per cent of which were strays and the rest were pets.

As part of the World Rabies Day observed on September 8, the Rabies in Asia Foundation (India Chapter), the Association for Prevention and Control of Rabies in India (APCRI), NIMHANS and the community medicine department of KIMS joined together and are organising a walk from Kumble Circle to Mahatma Gandhi statue on Saturday to spread awareness about rabies.

“We will distribute pamphlets and conduct awareness programmes. As part of the programme, training for laboratory personnel on laboratory diagnosis of rabies would be conducted at NIMHANS,” Dr. Sudarshan added.

Dr. Sudarshan said the committee which conducted a performance audit of the BBMP’s ABC programme had recommended that the municipal bylaws be modified to strengthen pet licensing system in the city.

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