Palike intensifies drive against rabies
The palike's dog catching squad isolated 1,107 strays and found 673 of them to be rabid in the past four-and-a-half years.
A senior veterinarian from BBMP's animal husbandry department said whenever dog bite complaints are received, the canine is caught and kept under observation and certain tests conducted.
'Normally in ten days, the rabid dog dies and its brain samples are sent for tests, while the body is disposed of scientifically. Based on the laboratory report, the palike launches a 'ring vaccination' drive in the locality where the rabid dog died and the canines there will be vaccinated to ensure the infection does not spread,' the veterinarian said.
'Rabies is a deadly zoonotic disease that can be prevented through vaccination. It spreads through bites, scratches or saliva of the infected animals. Globally, an estimated 59,000 deaths are reported annually due to rabies, with dogs responsible for over 97% of the cases.
A death occurs every nine minutes due to rabies, and nearly 40% of the victims are children aged below 15. Hence, it is important to get vaccinated if bitten by a dog,' according to BBMP's special commissioner for health Suralkar Vikas Kishor.
An oral rabies vaccine is being developed by Bengaluru Veterinary College, according to the palike.
As part of its rabies control initiative, the palike launched a campaign on Monday. During the campaign, special vehicles with health staff will visit all wards to educate people about rabies prevention. The palike will intensify its IEC activities related to zoonotic diseases by targeting school and college students.
According to the palike, 2,37,803 dogs have been operated under its Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, and during its annual mass vaccination campaign since 2020-2021, 4,43,238 dogs have been vaccinated.
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