MC yet to launch anti-rabies vax drive for stray dogs in city

Tribune News Service

Harshraj Singh

Ludhiana, February 25

Though dog bite cases are common in Ludhiana, the Municipal Corporation’s planned project to make the city free of rabies — which is a fatal but vaccine-preventable viral disease — is yet to be launched. The rabies virus spreads to people and animals via the saliva of an infected animal, usually through bites, scratches, or direct contact with mucosa (e.g. eyes, mouth, or open wounds).

Project ‘planned’ 2 years ago

The Municipal Corporation had planned a project to administer anti-rabies vaccine to all stray and pet dogs for the prevention of rabies outbreak in the city around two years ago but the civic body had a shortage of required staff for the same. It was also planning to take the support of the Animal Husbandry Department and Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) so that the required staff could be arranged to launch the project.

According to information available on the website of the World Health Organisation, vaccinating dogs, including puppies, is the most cost-effective strategy for preventing the spread of rabies because it stops the transmission at the source itself.

A senior veterinary officer of the Animal Husbandry Department said: “For the prevention of rabies, dogs must be vaccinated. The local body concerned can carry out a drive for the prevention of the disease here. The anti-rabies vaccine should be administered to all dogs as per guidelines and the process must be repeated every year for prevention of the disease.”

Ludhiana West MLA Gurpreet Gogi said he would look into the guidelines regarding the anti-rabies vaccination process for stray dogs. MLA Gogi and MC Commissioner Shena Aggarwal inspected the animal birth control (ABC) centre in the Haibowal dairy complex on Friday.

Gogi said they are also planning to get a dog shelter constructed near the ABC centre for ‘furious’ dogs.

MC Veterinary Officer Dr Pratishth Batish said the project to administer anti-rabies vaccine to dogs was expected to be started next month with the support of GADVASU and the Animal Husbandry Department.

A city-based girl had reportedly died of rabies in 2021. Autopsy reports of three dogs a few years ago had also confirmed that they had rabies.

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