Rabies control program in india

The disease is zoonotic i. For a human, rabies is almost always fatal if post exposure prophylaxis PEP is not administered immediately following an exposure. The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately affecting the brain and resulting in death.

The rabies virus travels to the brain through the peripheral nerves. The incubation period of the disease i. The content of this module has been validated by Dr M. The period between infection and the first flu-like symptoms is typically 2 to 12 weeks. The rabies virus belongs to a group of viruses called lyssaviruses, which can infect mammals. The virus is present in the saliva of rabid animal.

Tests used to confirm a diagnosis of rabies in its more advanced stages include: Skin biopsy — A small sample of skin is removed and checked for the presence of the rabies virus. Saliva test — A sample of saliva is tested for the presence of the rabies virus. Blood tests — Blood is checked for the rabies antibodies.

The survey revealed that the use of tissue-culture vaccine was higher than that of nerve-tissue vaccine, and compliance to the full course was about However, the use of human rabies immune globulin was low 2. Realizing that even at the dawn of 21st century thousands of people in India are dying from rabies, some of the medical professional bodies such as the Indian Academy of Pediatrics and the Association for the Prevention and Control of Rabies have taken action.

They have collaborated to create awareness, develop strategies suitable to the Indian situation, popularize the use of intradermal vaccination, with a view to reduce the high cost of treatment and cooperate with the government to reduce the incidence of death from rabies, with the ultimate goal of eradicating rabies from the country. To first reduce then eradicate deaths from rabies, collaborative efforts will be required from multiple stakeholders, including veterinarians, public health officials, legal authorities and other health care services Box 1.

There must be strict implementation of the legal provisions for licensing and regular vaccination of pet dogs. At the same time, dedicated efforts are needed to control the population of stray dogs, through animal birth control programs and mass vaccination, and to eliminate suspected infected animals. Public health educational programs are needed to create awareness both in the medical community and in the public regarding the dangers of inadequately managed animal bites. The importance of proper wound care, postexposure vaccination with modern tissue-culture vaccine and the administration of human rabies immune globulin, where indicated, must be reinforced.

Modern tissue-culture vaccines, which are currently administered intramuscularly, must be made more widely and easily accessible. Efforts are needed to lower the prohibitive costs of postexposure vaccination by introducing and popularizing the intradermal route of rabies vaccination, which requires just one-tenth of the intramuscular dose. The possibility of adding pre-exposure vaccination to the routine childhood immunization schedule should be considered.

The facilities for the surveillance and diagnosis of animal rabies must be improved in quality and offer wider coverage, and human rabies must be made a mandatory reportable disease. Mesquita Hospital Vasco-da-Gama, India.

This article has been peer reviewed. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Rozario Menezes , MD. Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer.

Mesquita Hospital, Vasco-da-Gama, India. Rabies is an acute viral disease that causes fatal encephalomyelitis in virtually all the warm-blooded animals including human. The virus is found in wild and some domestic animals, and is transmitted to other animals and to humans through their saliva following bites, scratches, licks on broken skin and mucous membrane.

The disease is invariably fatal and perhaps the most painful and dreadful of all communicable diseases in which the sick person is tormented at the same time with thirst and fear of water hydrophobia. SARAH primarily works with stray animals in distress but also treats many pet animals as referral cases when needing complex surgical procedures, chemotherapy for treatment of contagious venereal tumours and advanced diagnostic services including X-ray, ultrasound and clinical pathology.

Public support is the cornerstone of a successful programme. Accordingly, SARAH works to increase public awareness of rabies, distemper which may be confused with rabies , dog behaviour and animal welfare. Radio, television, newspapers, public meetings, school visits and World Rabies Day activities are used to reach the public. Community education programs have drawn upon local values of animal sentience. Training of animal health personnel and field officers is also important so that better care can be delivered to stray animals.