Thrissur: As many as eight persons suffered injuries after a stray dog bit them on Saturday night and Sunday morning at downtown Puthupally.
Daily wage workers who were returning from work, morning walkers and homemakers engaged in daily chores at home suffered bites on legs and hands. Three persons were admitted to District Government Hospital, and the rest were discharged from after precautionary shots against rabies.
Sahadevan, a daily-wage labourer, residing at Vennakkara near Palakkad, suffered head injuries as he tried to escape from the dog which jumped on him and tried to bite his face. He fell hitting his head on the ground as he tried to evade. He suffered an injury to his right eye.
As the news spread about the attack by the dog on Sunday morning, the local people came to the conclusion that it was a single dog which was attacking people, and they gathered in the locality and beat the dog to death, fearing it was rabid.
Most of those attacked by the dog were from poor families and the found it difficult to pay Rs 600 for the rabies immune globulin injection which is used together with rabies vaccine to prevent infection caused by the rabies virus. Hospital authorities said that the provided anti-rabies vaccine free of cost, but did not have a provision to provide immune globulin without charges.
Speaking to DC C Krishna Kumar, vice-chairman of Palakkad Municipality said that according to a survey conducted by the civic body, there are 1,800 stray dogs in its limit and the anti-birth control surgeries would be soon done after catching strays. Facilities for the programme have been set up at the Veterinary Hospital in Palakkad.
