Rabies dots: Tamil Nadu recorded at least 22 rabies deaths and 2.42 lakh dog bite cases till June this year, while 18 deaths and 4.41 lakh bite cases will be recorded in 2023. The state’s public health records also showed that there were 7,310 snake bite cases till June 2024, compared to 19,795 cases in 2023. “Animal bites continue to be a significant public health problem,” said public health director Dr TS Selva Vinayagam in a letter to all district health officers, city and municipal health officers and GCC city health officers on Monday. He directed health officials to ensure round-the-clock availability of snake venom and anti-rabies vaccine in all PHCs and CHCs. He said, “Anti-snake serum should be given in all snake bite cases reported in PHCs/CHCs before they are referred to tertiary care. There is no need for any trial dose before giving ASV.” ARV should be given in all dog bite cases without any hesitation for wastage of dose. The results of a retrospective secondary data analysis conducted among dog bite cases reported in TN from January 2022 to December 2023 were published in the recent edition of the Journal of Public Health. The analysis showed that there was an 18.1% increase in the reported number of dog bite cases in 2023 compared to 2022. The maximum cases were reported during May and June. The study concluded that with the increasing burden of stray dogs and dog bite cases, the need for post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies infection is increasing. “The immediate solution is to ensure that life-saving vaccines are accessible to all citizens,” he said.
