PUNE: In the last eight months, stray dogs have bitten 14,072 citizens in the city. However, none of them has been infected with rabies. Although no rabies patient has been found in the last three years, 52 patients infected with rabies outside the city have been treated in city’s hospitals.
If immediate treatment is not provided to a person who has been bitten by a dog, then he may be infected with rabies. The rabies virus directly attacks the nervous system. Hence, on the World Rabies Day (September 28), doctors advise that immediate treatment should be taken after being bitten by a dog. According to a WHO report, 36 pc of all rabies-related deaths occur in India. Of them, in 95 per cent cases, rabies infection happens after being bitten by a dog.
Dr Harshal Pandve, Chief of Medicine Department of Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital, said, “Of all rabies-related infections, 99 per cent cases are related to dog bites. Rabies is a dangerous virus and it spreads to humans due to the saliva of infected animals. The virus spreads even after dogs bite people. Rabies can be prevented by administering a vaccine. If dogs are administered vaccines, rabies can be prevented. Every year, two doses of anti-rabies vaccines are given and later, a dose is administered every year. The treatment is decided after examining the injury caused by a dog bite. For minor injuries, anti-rabies vaccine i.e. ARV should be administered in 24 to 28 hours.
Statistics of rabies
Year Local patient Outside patient Patients of dog bites
2021 0 14 12,024
2022 0 21 16,569
2023* 0 17 14,072
(Till August)
Neutering and vaccination of stray dogs
Year Neutering Vaccination
2020-21 14,137 14,137
2021-22 13,148 13,148
2022-23 31,133 31,133
2023-24* 13,217 13,217
(Till June)
Dr Sarika Funde, Chief Veterinary Officer, PMC said, “There are very few rabies patients in civic limits. If preventive measures are not taken after a dog bite, the threat of rabies infection increases. The PMC is implementing a special drive to ensure that the maximum number of dogs are vaccinated for rabies.”
