RIACON calls for baseline survey of stray gods

Bangalore, Mar 3 (UNI) There is an urgent need to conduct a baseline survey on the population of stray dogs to arrest the spreads and menace of rabies, which claims over 20,000 lives in India every year, Maj Gen R M Kharab, Fellow National Academy of Veterinary Sciences, said here today.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the two-day International Conference on Rabies Prevention (RIACON-2007) he said that due to absence of a comprehensive baseline survey and data on the stray dogs population in the country it was proving very difficult to address the problem of the rabies disease.

Dr Kharab, who had spent over four decades in breeding, rearing, training and treating dogs, suggested that the local bodies including Muncipalities and panchayaths should take up the responsibility of eradication and control of the Rabies. "Stray dogs, which are the main vector of rabies disease needs to be vaccinated to protect the human beings, especially children, by effectively introducing various methods of vaccination including application of oral rabies vaccine." he said.

Increasing population of stray dogs had made things difficult to control deaths due to rabies, which was highest in India as compared to other Asian countries. "There is a need to have human approach in addressing the problem without destroying the mans' best friend," he said.

Dr Nagaraja, Director, NIMHANS Bangalore, said that the problem of rabies disease was larger and more complex in the Developing countries than in the developed world and there was a need for a community approach to address the problem. Expressing regret that Union Government pass the responsibility to State government and the state government to local bodies on the increased stray dogs menace, he called for adopting new methodologies for the effective intervention to combat the problem.

Referring the recent incident in which a four-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of dogs in Bangalore, Dr Nagaraj felt that there must be some sociological reasons for the sudden spurt of on the attack on human beings by the stray dogs, which needed to be studied to find an effective solution.

RIACON-2007 was the first scientific meeting of the Rabies in Asia (RIA) which WAS jointly organised by National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences and Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS). Delegates from Asian countries, Europe and United States America are taking part in it.

UNI