CHENNAI: In light of the increasing reports of dog bites and potential rise in rabies infection, the department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services (AH&VS), in a first, has decided to launch a mass immunisation campaign across Tamil Nadu by procuring 4.5 lakh doses of anti-rabies vaccines (ARV).
While the state vaccinates two lakh dogs every year, this year the department has urged the union government to source an additional five lakh doses, said official sources.
This apart, the department will provide unique identification tags for all dogs, including strays, to track their health, sterilisation, immunisation schedule, and other details.
This system will be introduced during the 21st quinquennial census for livestock and poultry, scheduled to commence in two to three months, department officials told TNIE.
‘Unique identification tags will help track stray dogs’
“The price of ARV has been finalised and orders have been placed by the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation. About 4.5 to 4.6 lakh doses are expected to be purchased at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore. We are planning to launch a mass immunisation programme against rabies in collaboration with civic bodies, NGOs, and other stakeholders,” said a senior AH&VS official.
“By introducing unique identification tags for dogs, we will be able to track the strays and study the animals’ impact in a scientific manner, which will help devise strategies to reduce stray dog population,” an official said. It is estimated that there are around five lakh stray dogs in the state, with one lakh in Chennai city alone.
“The corporation has a sufficient supply of ARV now. The department have jointly started administering vaccines on stray dogs,” another official said.
The department continues to remain tight-lipped about the number of dogs found to have been infected with rabies. As per data from the health department, 122 people have died due to rabies between 2018 and 2022.
Among them, nearly 40% had not been administered ARV after being attacked. The upcoming census will record the dog population. The local bodies can conduct a separate census. According to official data, the dog population in TN declined from 18.37 lakh in 2007 to 15.47 lakh in 2012. It further dropped to 12.96 lakh as per the 2018-19 census.