Siamchinthang Tangpua
LAMKA,Jan. 11 : “More than 20,000 people have been killed in India every year by rabies and we need to create awareness about rabies, animal bite management among people and professionals, sufficient quantities of modern rabies vaccines and RIG should be made available in all government hospitals in order to minimize this figure”.
This was stated by Dr S Shantikumar Singh, specialist (Cattle) District Veterinary Office, Churachandpur during an interaction as the endemic breaks out in Churachandpur district claiming number of lives.
In the interaction with a specialist (Cattle) District veterinary Office, Churachandpur, Dr.S Shantikumar Singh added that types of rabies are sylavatic rabies and urban rabies, which spread from carrier rabies host to urban by various factors, and more than 90 per cent rabies cases spread from a bite of rabies dogs.
Elaborating his point, he said that He said that the dog should be curative treatment for at least 10 days for observation in cage, it the dog is found dead within 10 days may be suspected the head should be cut-off from his portion which was to be sent to laboratory for examination.
Dr. S Shantikumar Singh said a large number of unvaccinated canine population, not providing post exposure prophylaxis and lack of awareness about rabies prevention among the general public which were responsible for this outbreak.
He further pointed out that the number of dog brain samples submitted for diagnosis of rabies at diseases investigating laboratory was confirmed in all 39 (100 per cent) brain samples submitted which was 3 fold increase compared to the previous year.
The outbreak of human rabies in the district of Churachandpur was due to very low level of rabies vaccination coverage in canine population and not providing post exposure prophylaxis for animal bite victims, he added.
