KOZHIKODE: The dog bite cases are on the rise in the district and the total number of cases registered till July 1 is 4, 667 as per the figures of integrated disease surveillance programme (IDSP) centre at the civil station here. During the same period last year, the total number of cases was only 2,876.
This apart, 1,438 people in the district were given immune vaccination for suspected rabies cases. In total, 6,105 people were administered intra-dermal rabies vaccine.
The data also includes the cases reported at the Medical College Hospital here which caters to the patients from the neighbouring districts. The total number of dog bite cases in the district last year was 6,947.
Going by the data, the highest number of dog bite cases was reported in March (963) and the lowest in June (628).
The continuing threat from strays has also resulted from the lethargy of the city corporation which failed to implement the Animal Birth Control Project.
Though a team of experts from the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) had sterilised 159 dogs as part of the ABC project in March this year, there was no follow-up action.
Dr Shyam Venugopal, expert from KVASU who headed the sterilisation camp in Kozhikode, told DC that the team was ready for follow-up but the corporation was yet to seek it.
Mr Venugoapal said that one camp was insufficient to eradicate the threat as the number of strays was huge and scattered. “We need more experts and sterilisation camps should be conducted across the city at the same time,” he added. “We are ready to impart training to personnel from Animal Husbandry Department in modern sterilisation procedures. Without sufficient experts, we are helpless in solving the problem,” he added.
