Day after, ferocious dog dies

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 26

A day after biting 13 Mani Majra residents, including seven children, the ferocious dog died today. The dog’s death has reinforced apprehensions that it was rabid, though official confirmation is awaited.

“The patients were given serum and vaccine yesterday. We have procured their contact details and will follow their remaining dosage over the next 28 days,” Dr MS Kamboj, Superintendent (Slaughterhouse), MC.

“As a preventive measure, all patients need to be given immune globulin doses to increase the volume of anti-bodies that fight the virus. This is the second-line treatment for rabid bites,” said a senior consultant from a government hospital in the city on condition of anonymity.

Immune globulin, however, has not been given to any of the patients so far, sources said.

Asked whether any preventive measures were taken following the dog’s death, Dr Kamboj said, “The infection does not commonly transmit from one infected dog to the other. However, as a preventive measure, we will hold a camp in Mani Majra to sterilise all stray dogs in the area.”

The dog’s head has been preserved and it will be sent for analysis and confirmation of the presence of rabies virus to the Central Research Institute in Kasauli tomorrow.

Experts said since all 13 patients were immediately vaccinated, there was no threat of transmission of the virus from them to others.

Dog’s death worries victims’ kin

The families of the dog bite victims are a worried lot after they came to know of the dog’s death. “We were told by a doctor that after biting a human being, if a dog dies, it is evident that it was rabid,” said Parveen Gupta. His 43-year-old wife, Anjali Gupta, was bitten by the dog on the right arm yesterday.

Last year’s incident

Last year, panic had gripped residents of Sector 20 when a bitch died after biting several residents.

Sterilisation camps

• Sterilisation camp for dogs in Mani Majra on Friday.
• Annoucements made in Mani Majra to ensure all victims of dog bite reach the health centre.

Mayorspeak

At a meeting of the F&CC, Mayor Poonam Shama said the MC would soon provide the human rabies immune globulin serum in addition to the equine anti-rabies serum being provided at present in the MC dispensary for dog bite cases. She clarified that the human rabies immune globulin serum would be used only in case of a reaction after the use of the equine anti-rabies serum. She said a dog sterilisation centre in Sector 38 (West) was almost ready and would be made operational in the second week of April.

Lawyer moves court

A city-based lawyer on Thursday moved court against the UT Home-cum-Health Secretary, the MC Commissioner and the Mayor on the issue. In the petition, the chairman of the Global Human Rights Council has urged the court to issue directions to the UT Administration to start a sterilisation programme for stray dogs and to keep these in dog pounds. The petition will come up for hearing on Friday.

6-yr-old operated upon

Six-year-old stray dog bite victim Sadia was operated upon late on Thursday night. The injuries on her lips were sutured and she will be wheeled in for plastic surgery after three weeks once her injuries heal. The tissue loss was not much and there is hope for reconstruction of the damaged lips, said a senior consultant at the PGI.

Mayor writes to Maneka

City Mayor Poonam Sharma has written to Union Minister and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi seeking time for a meeting of a councillors’ delegation with her over the issue.