The Deccan Chronicle 13.10.2010
Dog bite cases go up during monsoonOct. 12: Being bitten by dogs is turning into a perennial nuisance in the city. It’s a daily battle between man and animal on the streets of Chennai. Every day, nearly 30 people turn up at the anti-rabies vaccine unit in the outpatient department of the government general hospital, with the numbers crossing 50 on Monday, when the unit opens for the week. Doctors also treat a few cases of cat bites, rat bites and monkey bites every day, with simian bites more common in areas like Otteri, Kokkurpet and Vannarpettai.
“The number of dog bite cases spike during the monsoon, which is the littering season for animals. Youngsters and middle-aged people form most of the patients, who get bitten either while accidentally stepping on a dog or approaching newborn puppies,” says a doctor at the unit.
However, with the wide availability of the intra-dermal anti-rabies vaccine, the number of patients succumbing to the deadly viral disease has drastically reduced over the years, says another senior government doctor. “Till a few years ago, we used to see at least 70-100 cases of rabies a year, which has now dropped to a maximum of 20,” he says. These numbers can drop further if patients come in for all four shots of the vaccine on the proper date, and if those in rural areas do not resort to ineffective indigenous treatments, he points out.
The Animal Welfare Board of India will instruct the local bodies to intensify the drive to vaccinate street dogs if the numbers turn unmanageable, a member of the Board said.
