VIRUDHUNAGAR: Around 14 persons, including an eight-year-old child, sustained level 3 dog bite injuries after a dog attacked the residents of Kattaiyapuram on the streets on Saturday. The canine was allegedly killed by the locals later.
Doctors at Government Medical College Hospital in Virudhunagar said among the injured people, a 74-year-old woman has been admitted for further care. “The remaining patients were administered anti-rabies immunoglobulin and the anti-rabies vaccine (ARV),” a doctor said.
Although residents claimed it to be a pet dog, municipality officials are yet to confirm whether the dog was stray or owned.
Speaking to TNIE, a 36-year-old victim said, “I was rushed to the hospital, where I learnt that several people from my area were also attacked by the dog.”
Another victim said, “I was just washing my clothes outside my house when the dog attacked me. The municipality must take concrete steps to prevent such incidents in the future.”
Municipality officials said among the 365 stray dogs identified within their jurisdiction, 339 have been administered the anti-rabies vaccine, adding that further steps would be taken to prevent such incidents.