Stray dog menace and rabies control

Ranjan Kumar Padmapati

(The writer can be reached at rkpadmapati@yahoo.co.in)

The famous quote “A dog biting a man makes no news; only a man biting a
dog makes news” was coined by Charles Anderson. Dana, the editor of the New York Sun , implies that dog-biting has been a low-priority news item and is considered most common in our day-to-day life to report. This psychic attachment was held good until his death in 1897 or during that time. Now frequently people encounter such dog attacks while in a marketplace or on a morning walk or otherwise because of the dog population growth. Rabies in humans now is emerging as the most potent disease, killing 59,000 people worldwide yearly. Females, children and aged persons are the most vulnerable groups to dog bites. Of late, the stigma attached to journalism has been beaten, and many cases of dog bite incidents have been reported considering its gravity. Some time before Parag Desai (49), an executive of Wagh Bakri Tea Ltd, died from a dog bite incident in Ahmedabad. In Guwahati too, one retired teacher, Late Chandra Prasad Sharma of Dakshin Beltola High School, died from a similar incident. A month before, Islamuddin Laskar succumbed to dog bite injuries in Jorhat. In Cachar, Bishwyajit Nath died after 3 months of a dog bite. Many more such incidents can be cited from the media; such news is even occupying front pages. Still, many went unreported. On average, in India, 350 dog bite cases per hour were reported in 2023; it is up from 195 cases per hour in 2022. An increase in dog population is the chief reason.  Globally, a loss to the tune of 8.6 billion US dollars is attributable to dog bites that include deaths, loss of livelihood and cost of treatments, etc.

Rabies is one of the oldest and most dangerous diseases afflicting the human race since time immemorial and finds its mention in the olden scriptures of Mesopotamian civilization, the Vedas (1500-500 BC), and also in the Old Testament. Rabies is a viral zoonotic tropical disease responsible for tens of thousands of deaths, with 40% being children below 15 years of age. Dogs alone are responsible for up to 95%, cats 2%, and mongooses and others together constitute the remaining share, spreading rabies. Rabies is caused by a ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus present in the saliva of rabid animals like dogs, cats, monkeys, etc. Incubation periods vary from 2-3 months but may vary from 1 week to even 1 year or more depending on some other factors. Once a virus infects the central nervous system and a clinical symptom appears, rabies is fatal in 100% of cases. Then no option is available to treat the patient. However, it is 100% preventable with prompt post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) vaccination by stopping the virus from reaching the central nervous system. PEP consists of thoroughly washing the wound first with soap for 15 minutes, then applying iodine, etc., and administering a course of human rabies vaccine. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is recommended for high-risk persons in the field.

 It is the social unawareness of a possible future dangerous occurrence of rabies attack, as evident in the abovementioned case from Cacher, where Bishwyajit Nath died after 3 months of a dog bite. Disease is transmitted by bites or via saliva, scratches, or direct contact with mucosa (eyes, mouth or open wound). According to the Ministry of Health, Government of India, in 2023, a total of 30.43 lakh cases of dog bites were registered, an increase from 17.01 lakh cases in 2021. It is a matter of much anxiety that out of 59,000s-related deaths worldwide (one person every 9 minutes), 20,000 deaths occurred in India. Eighty percent of the victims are from villages due to a lack of awareness of the treatment procedure and future rabies attacks on the central nervous system and that successful treatment is possible at the initial stage.

According to the WHO, mass vaccination of dogs is the most effective way of preventing rabies. Another way to control the stray dog population is the adaptation of animal birth control methods in conjunction with anti-rabies vaccination of stray dogs. According to the WHO 2008 statistics, there were 2.5 crore stray dogs in India. The dog-to-man ratio in India is 1:40.  The UNO target is to bring down rabies cases gradually to achieve “Zero by 2030”. The government of India banned 23 ferrous breeds of dogs and published the comprehensive list of such breeds, like Bull Dog, Pit Bull Terrie, Tisane Kanga, Russian Shepherd, Dog Wolf, and Ben Dog, just to mention. According to one estimate, there are one lakh stray dogs in greater Guwahati. Managing Director of Just Be Friendly (JBF), Sasanka Sekher Dutta, revealed that until 1934 there was not a single stray dog in Guwahati. The dog population has increased because of the open garbage system, and the dog population feeds on food waste found in the garbage.  Disease models and real-world experience show that 70% of the dog population in a particular locality, if vaccinated, can achieve herd immunity; break the transmission chain, and the transmission of rabies from dog to dog and, in turn, dog to man can be totally prevented. Only Long Duration Multi-year quality vaccination plans can lead to herd immunity, as one shot gives immunity for 1-3 years depending on the quality of the vaccination and is an ongoing process. The policy of eliminating rabies in dogs should occupy the topmost priority to stop the transmission of rabies in humans. Sterilisation, including spaying and neutering, can help reduce reproduction. The old method of culling is an obsolete, cruel method to curb dog population. A dog is a faithful human companion from the days of the Mahabharata; the mythological companion of Yudhishthira deserves mention and kindness. Assam’s Sankardev’s teaching is “Kukura, Shrigalo, Gadarbharu Atma Ram, Janiya Xabaku koriba pranam”. Translation goes as follows: Lord Ram dwells even in the souls of dogs, foxes, or donkeys; knowing this, be kind and pay reverence to all living creatures.

Dog-bite cases cannot be ignored; it is on the rise, and Assam tops the list of deaths due to rabies, with 33 persons dying in 2023, a significant rise from 12 deaths in 2022. In 2023, - 94,995 dog-bite cases were registered, a rise of 130%, compared to 2022 (34,071) in Assam. The Kamrup Metro district registered a significant number of 11,500 cases in 2023. It is high time the Government of Assam and the GMC and other agencies woke up from deep slumber to rise to the occasion.