Delhi dog removal may reverse rabies gains, create chaos: Edinburgh professor

India Today

a day ago

India's hard-earned progress in rabies prevention could be 'substantially reversed' if the Supreme Court's recent order on removing street dogs is implemented, warns Prof. Krithika Srinivasan, Principal Investigator of the ROH-Indies research project at the University of Edinburgh.In an exclusive conversation, Prof. Srinivasan, whose work combines human geography, behavioural ecology, and public health, made it clear that the proposed measures risk derailing two decades of steady progress.advertisement'India has made remarkable gains, reported human rabies deaths have dropped from 274 in 2005 to just 34 in 2022. But these health gains are fragile. Mass removal of dogs breaks up vaccinated, stable populations and triggers movement, increasing bite risks and rabies exposure,' she said.THE VACUUM EFFECT: A PROBLEM THAT BITES BACK
The 'vacuum effect', a term many in the public may not have heard before, is central to her warning.'When community dogs are removed, the empty space is quickly filled by new, often unvaccinated dogs from surrounding areas,' Prof. Srinivasan explained. 'This disrupts herd immunity and creates instability.'The phenomenon is not unique to India. In the UK, after street dogs were eliminated, foxes and gulls filled the gap, both now considered urban nuisances and, in some cases, safety threats. In North America, coyotes, raccoons, skunks and even hybrid coywolves have taken over the ecological niche.STREET DOGS ARE NOT THE WHOLE PROBLEMEven countries without free-living dogs continue to struggle with bites and fatalities.'In England and Wales, hospital admissions for dog bites rose 88% between 2007 and 2021-22, and deaths linked to dogs have surged by 850% since 1983. Most of these incidents involve owned dogs, not strays,' Prof. Srinivasan said.Her research shows India's street dog bite rates are actually lower than in parts of the UK, a surprising finding that challenges the assumption that eliminating street dogs will automatically improve public safety.THE CASE FOR ABC AND MASS VACCINATIONIndia's existing policy, the Animal Birth Control-Anti Rabies Vaccination (ABC-ARV) programme, is both cost-effective and globally endorsed by the WHO.'When done properly, ABC-ARV stabilises dog populations, reduces rabies, and lowers injury risks. Goa's rabies control programme recorded zero human rabies deaths for five consecutive years after its intensive vaccination and sterilisation drive,' she noted.But she emphasises that the current scale is inadequate. 'We need far more investment in universal, free post-exposure prophylaxis, mass vaccination, and public education on safe human-dog interactions,' she said.PUBLIC OPINION ISN'T AS POLARISED AS HEADLINES SUGGESTSContrary to the perception that the public overwhelmingly wants dogs removed, Prof. Srinivasan's surveys across Chennai, Jaipur, and Malappuram reveal a majority support vaccination and sterilisation over eradication.advertisement'More than 70% opposed killing all street dogs, even amongst those who had been bitten. The picture is far more moderate than extreme social media narratives suggest,' she said.WHY THE COURT'S CONCERN IS VALID, BUT THE FIX COULD BACKFIREWhile Prof. Srinivasan acknowledges the Court's intent to safeguard public health, she warns that high-visibility removals can create a 'false sense of having taken action' while diverting resources from measures that actually work.'If the goal is to reduce rabies and bites, the science is clear, removal is not the way,' she concluded. 'Cities thrive when public health measures are rooted in science, implemented consistently, and supported by communities.'- EndsMust Watch