PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU RELEASE ON RABIES

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September 20, 2006*

** *Ministry of Environment and Forests* **

 

** RABIES-A DREADFUL DISEASE

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*17:36 IST * Rabies is one of the most dreadful infectious diseases

affecting both human beings and animals. Rabies is prevalent throughout

India except the islands of Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar but has a

low public health priority. Rabies is mainly a problem of developing world –

Asia and Africa where 99% of all human deaths estimated to be over 50,000

occur globally every year. Though the exact statistical data is not

availwable but it is estimated that in India alone approximately 20,000

people die of Rabies every year, besides it causes a large number of deaths

in domestic and wild animals. Moreover, there is a huge expenditure incurred

on post- exposure vaccination. Therefore, there is an urgent need to control

and finally eradicate this dreaded disease from India as has been achieved

by several South-East Asian countries like Malaysia and Singapore.

 

The main vector of rabies in India is the dog. The twin strategies to

control and eradicate rabies in India will be:

 

a) To achieve at least 80% prophylactic immunization of dog population

(owned / stay / community)

 

b) To push forward the existing ABC/AR programme for stray/ community dogs

on war footing to control their population.

 

The WHO at its Fourth International Symposium on Rabies Control in Asia

stated:

 

" Elimination of Rabies in human requires control of rabies in dogs " . Dr. F.X.

Meslin of the Communicable Diseases Surveillance Department of WHO says:

" Rabies elimination by vaccination of the dog population is the most cost

beneficial strategy. " It has also been repeatedly stressed that once we

reach the threshold figure of 70% of a dog population being vaccinated, the

propagation of rabies is virtually halted.

 

The Animal Welfare Board of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests is

presently engaged in controlling the population of stray dogs through its

Animal Birth Control/Anti-Rabies inoculation programme(ABC/AR) being carried

out through the medium of NGOs, SPCAs and AWOs throughout the Country. Over

70,000 stray/community dogs are being sterilized/ neutered every year and

given Anti-Rabies vaccine. These dogs are relocated to their original

habitat with efforts of local bodies after the sterilization. This programme

has significantly reduced the incidence of Rabies in several Metros such as

Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Banglore, Kalimpong &

Kolkata.

 

One of the major problems encountered in control of rabies is the mass

immunization of stray/community dogs which are not accessible for injectable

rabies vaccine – recommended by WHO for immunization of stray/community dogs

– the problem can now be addressed.

 

WHO also recommended controlling the rabies population of dogs through ABC

programme rather than killing them, which is inhuman and does not go well

with our culture ethos of love and compassion for animals.

 

The entire success of this project rests on the realm of local Municipal

bodies, Rural Administration and State Veterinary Services which come under

the State Governments.

 

KP:PM