With 1,153 dog bites reported in May and similar number being reported over several months this year, the District Health Department has a problem without any possible prevention strategy.
Overall, the total number of animal bites reported in May was 2,587, which includes bites of dogs, cats and other animals. The cumulative number from January onwards is 14,362 animal bites. Health officials remarked that the numbers had been steadily increasing.
The Health Department recorded 686 dog bites in January, 599 in February, 641 in March but over 1,100 in April.
The demand for the vaccine is huge as a total of six doses are required in a period of 60 days.
The Health officials told The Hindu that while anti-rabies vaccine was readily available in government medical stores, the stocks were fast being used up because of the increasing numbers of dog bites.
The vaccine’s six-dose course is to be taken at an interval of specific days in the course of two months starting from zero (day of bite), 3, 7, 14, 28 and 60 days.
Over and above the anti-rabies vaccine, the victims of violent dog bites are also given immunoglobin injectibles. These injectibles were earlier available only in general hospital and the medical colleges, since the incidences of violent attacks by dogs were usually rare.
The increasing numbers of stray dog bites had forced the District Medical Officer to direct the local self government agencies to provide funds for the immunoglobin injectibles.
