State reports sharp rise in dog bite cases and rabies deaths, health department takes action

Chennai (The Uttam Hindu): The Tamil Nadu Health Department has instructed district and city health officers to ensure the round-the-clock availability of Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) due to a surge in dog bite cases across the state. In a directive the Tamil Nadu Director of Public Health (DPH) emphasized that health officers must keep at least 20 vials of ARV in stock and administer it promptly in all dog bite cases even during night hours without hesitation. The state has seen a significant increase in rabies-related deaths and dog bite incidents in 2024 with 34 fatalities and 6.42 lakh dog bite cases reported by October marking the highest figures in five years. This is a sharp rise from the previous year which saw 18 rabies deaths and 4.41 lakh dog bite cases Despite these alarming numbers the state has maintained zero fatalities from diseases such as malaria chikungunya and Japanese encephalitis in 2024 making rabies a critical public health issue due to its 100 percent fatality rate.

The health department also pointed out the challenge of managing rabies without reliable data on the dog population in many districts as accurate estimates are vital for effective vaccination campaigns and sterilization efforts under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) program. While some districts like Chennai and Coimbatore have conducted dog population censuses many others lack this essential information. The Nilgiris district however has remained rabies-free for the past 15 years thanks to consistent and aggressive vaccination programs. Sundar Raj, an animal rights activist in Nilgiris shared that their door-to-door vaccination campaign initially faced resistance but ultimately succeeded in protecting the area from rabies. He also stressed the importance of testing dogs with rabies symptoms to prevent the further spread of the virus. In addition to rabies the DPH also addressed the issue of snake bites in the state. Tamil Nadu reported 7,310 snake bite cases until June 2024 a decrease from 19,795 cases in 2023. Health officials have been instructed to ensure the availability of anti-snake venom (ASV) at all Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres maintaining a minimum stock of 10 vials at all times. The department clarified that a test dose of ASV is not required before administration and the venom should be given to all snake bite victims before they are referred to higher medical facilities.