Rabies and Dog - Bite Management...

Rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic viral disease that mainly spreads to people from the saliva of infected animals.

- Dr.S.Preethi, Dr.A. Yasotha, Dr.R.Arumugam, Dr.T.Ananthi

Worldwide around 59,000 people die from rabies every year and 14% of them are aged under 14 years. India has around 20,000 rabies death a year. The disease is endemic in India, with the exception of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Though cats, wolves, mongooses, jackals and monkeys are the reservoir for rabies virus, the majority of mortality and morbidity occurs only through dog bites. Indian government with an aim to prevent, control and eventually eliminate rabies, has formulated a National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination from India by 2030 as a part of the One Health Approach.

Rabies - How is it transmitted ??

Rabies virus, a neurotropic virus is transmitted through direct contact through broken skin or mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, or mouth with saliva or brain/nervous system tissue from an infected animal. The virus affects the central nervous system ultimately affecting the brain and resulting in death. In India, 97% of Rabies cases are mainly transmitted by dogs, followed by wild animals. Transmissions from horses, donkeys, monkeys, cows, goats, sheep, and pigs are rare. Rodents, rats and bandicoots, squirrels, rabbits, birds, and bats are generally not known to transmit Rabies. Unvaccinated free-roaming dogs or street dogs amidst human settlements are a major contributor to the high incidence of Rabies in India, which is endemic. Apart from humans, Rabies also causes significant mortality among livestock such as bovines, cattle and small animals.