4 die of rabies, 9,000 bitten by dogs in Kovai
The menace posed by stray dogs has hit an alarming high in Coimbatore
By : vidyashree dharmaraj
Update: 2014-09-30 04:45 GMT
Coimbatore: The menace posed by stray dogs has hit an alarming high in Coimbatore. Four persons have died of rabiesafter being mauled by rabid dogs this year and at least 9,000 people, who suffered dog bites, were treated at the government Coimbatore Medical College Hospital in just the first nine months this year in Coimbatore.
The resident medical officer of CMCH, Dr S Dharmalingam told DC that nearly 30 to 40 cases of dog bites are treated daily. “The hospital treats anywhere between 1,000 and 1,200 cases every month.
Four patients including one woman have succumbed to the rabies virus in the last nine months.” In 2013, five men died of rabies at the government hospital, the hospital official added.
Though bat bites can also cause rabies, the patients who have died in the government were bitten by rabies-infected dogs. If patients do not take prompt treatment the moment they are bitten, fatality is certain.
“The victim should wash his wound and immediately rush to the hospital and get the vaccine administered within 48 hours. CMCH has enough stock of vaccine and they are administered free of cost”, the RMO said.