Vaccinating stray dogs only fix to fight rabies: Experts

Chennai: Known as a killer disease, rabies continues to hound the state of Tamil Nadu, also taking the lives of around 20,000 people a year in India with most victims being children. With this in mind, scientists from the United States of America (USA) conducted a study to find a solution to bring down the burden.    

The study, led by a team of scientists at the University of Maryland in the USA, the Public Health Foundation of India, the Harvard School of Public Health in the USA and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, focused on the state of Tamil Nadu. It found that over the course of five years, vaccinating 2,00,000 stray dogs a year would reduce rabies incidence by 90 per
cent.

Stray dogs found to occupy around 42 per cent of the total canine population in Tamil Nadu. “Approximately 100 people in the state die due to rabies each year,” said Dr Bhaskar Raju, consulting paediatrician.

With the state having seen twice as many rabies deaths in 2015 as in 2013, the Chennai Corporation, along with the Blue Cross of India (BCI) took up the initiative of vaccinating stray dogs. “40,000 to 80,000 dogs got vaccinated in Chennai Corporation alone last year under the initiative of ‘Machine rabies’ in 2015,” said Dawn Williams of BCI.

With the availability of multi-dose vaccinations, a single bottle of which can be used for around 10 dogs, experts say that bringing down the burden is not impossible. However, they urge the public to contribute to the efforts.

“Though these vaccines are available, they are either not kept in the required temperature zone, or they are left open causing them to lose their efficacy,” said F. M. Jerold, Animal Welfare Officer, Animal Welfare Board of India.

“Animal lovers, NGOs and the Government should unite to bring down the burden of rabies, while also working towards increasing awareness on the same,” he added.

“The government should take the initiative to immunise the street dogs. If a dog in one area develops rabies, it may pass it on to all the other dogs in the area,” said Dr Raju.

According to available records, it was been found that Chennai alone has around one lakh dogs. “If the Corporation has no interest in saving the dogs, they should at least show some interest in saving the humans as they are the ones most affected,” said an animal activist.

“Children below 15 years of age are at a higher risk of developing rabies (50 per cent),” said Dr Shafi Kolhapure, GM-Medical Affairs, GSK Biologicals, India. “All dogs should be routinely vaccinated, which is the only solution to eradicating the disease,” he added.