THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid a rise in dog bites across the country, the Union government has directed the states to maintain separate records for pet dog bites and stray dog bites. The move is aimed at strengthening the rabies surveillance system and to achieve the goal of making India a rabies-free country by 2030, according to the order issued on March 7 by the Directorate General of Health Services under the ministry of health and Family Welfare.
The Centre has asked the state health authorities to provide quality data on the number of animal bites from all primary health centres, community health centres, district-level hospitals and tertiary care facilities with specific details on bites by pet dogs and stray dogs. Separate records have to be maintained for new and follow-up patients in the animal bite exposure register.
Welcoming the decision, Minister for Animal Husbandry J Chinchu Rani said that keeping distinctive data on pet dog bites and stray dog bites is a good thing.
‘Animal bite incidents recorded inaccurately’
“We have data on the population of stray dogs and domestic dogs in the state. The state has already taken several measures for animal welfare, especially dogs. We are devising measures to enforce responsible pet parenting by mandating pet licensing,” Chinchu Rani said.
The direction comes in the wake of a letter written by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) to the National Centre for Disease Control, urging a direction to all hospitals and medical institutions to record dog bite cases distinctively. The AWBI highlighted that clear reporting would help create a comprehensive understanding of dog bite incidents.
Animal rights activist M N Jayachandran, a former member of the state animal welfare board, said animal bite incidents are being recorded inaccurately.
“There are no specific details as all bite and even scratch incidents involving cats are recorded as dog bite incidents, which is wrong. Distinctively recording the bite incidents will help identify potential areas where street dog populations may be more concentrated,” said Jayachandran.
Advantages of separate records on dog bites
Will help formulate targeted interventions such as vaccination campaigns, public awareness programmes
Understanding the source of dog bites will help identify potential areas where street dog populations are high. This can aid in implementing targeted sterilisation and vaccination
Will help avoid misinformation surrounding incidents of dog bites