22 rabies deaths, 2.4 lakh dog bite cases in Tamil Nadu till June this year

CHENNAI: At least 22 rabies deaths and 2.42 lakh dog bite cases were registered until June this year in Tamil Nadu compared to 18 deaths and 4.41 lakh bites in 2023. The state public health records also showed there were 7,310 snake bite cases until June 2024 compared to 19,795 cases in 2023.

“Animal bites continue to be a significant public health problem,” director of public health Dr TS Selva Vinayagam said in a letter to all district health officials, city and municipal health officers and GCC city health officers on Monday.

He instructed health officials to ensure round-the-clock availability of anti-snake venom and anti-rabies vaccine in all PHCs and CHCs. “At least 10 vials of anti-snake venom and 20 vials of anti-rabies vaccines should be maintained at any point of time,” he said. Anti-snake serum should be administered to all snake bite cases reported in the PHC/CHC, before referring them to tertiary care. There is no need for any test doses before administering ASV,” he said.

ARV should be administered to all dog bite cases without any hesitancy for the wastage of doses.

The results of a retrospective secondary data analysis conducted among dog bite cases reported in TN from Jan 2022 to Dec 2023 were published in the recent edition of the public health journal. Analysis showed the reported number of dog bite cases increased by 18.1% in 2023 compared to 2022. Maximum cases were reported during May and June.

The study concluded that with the increasing burden of stray dogs and dog bite cases, requirement of post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies infection is increasing. “The immediate solution is to ensure lifesaving vaccinations are accessible to all citizens,” he said. .

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