Govt sets 2030 target to eradicate rabies
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, September 28 2021:
While delivering the message of 'World Rabies Day' to the people of Manipur, Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services director Chabungbam Nandakishore has informed that the government is aiming to eradicate rabies completely by 2030.Speaking to media persons at the office of directorate of veterinary and animal husbandry services, Sanjenthong on Tuesday, Nandakishore reminded that September 28 is observed as World Rabies Day under different themes every year in honour of the anti-rabies vaccine developer Louis Pasteur.
For this year, the theme of the observance is Rabies: Facts not fear'.
Even though the observance could not be conducted on a grand scale because of the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic situation in the state, the directorate along with NGOs organised anti-rabies vaccine camp at several veterinary dispensaries and hospitals in the state, he informed.
Nandakishore conveyed that the disease is not as fearful as it is if one knows about it and its preventive measures.
He explained that out of 100 rabid cases, 90 get infected due to dog bites with the remaining contracting the disease from the bites of cat, bat and mongoose.
As such, dog owners should regularly administer anti-rabies vaccine to their dogs, he stressed.
The director also cautioned that in case of a person infected by rabies because of a dog bite, the dog should not be killed instantly.
Though the rabid dog will surely die within 10 days, it should be kept in a secured place, Nandakishore advised, while urging the people to bring the dead dog to Disease Investigation Laboratory located at Sanjenthong for sending its samples to advanced labs outside the state so as to confirm whether it is infected by rabies or not, he added.