COIMBATORE: A one-year-old boy and a 50-year-old woman suffered deep bite injuries after they were attacked by a stray dog, suspected to be affected by Rabies, at Kaliyapuram near Thirumalaiyampalayam on the outskirts of the city on Thursday night. The victims were admitted to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for treatment and given anti-rabies injections. Their condition is stable.
A stray dog entered Kaliyapuram on Thursday evening around 6.15 pm. When 1.5-year-old Mukhil Aadhav, son of C Vijayakumar, came out of the house to play, the dog pounced on him and started to bite him. Hearing his screams, his mother and grandmother rushed out of the house and chased away the dog using sticks and rescued the child. By then, the dog had bitten off flesh from his forehead. He was rushed to Madukkarai GH where first-aid was given. He was admitted to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH),” the boy’s uncle C Ramkumar said.
Later, around 7.30 pm, the dog attacked S Muniyammal (50) of Jallimedu village, which is nearby, while she was walking on the road. She sustained injuries on her right cheek, head and left forearm and was admitted to the CMCH. The boy and the woman were given RIG (rabies immune globulin) injections and ARV (anti-rabies vaccine). Their health condition was stable. The child is set to undergo a surgery soon, said sources.
People from both the villages searched for the dog throughout the night, but could not locate it.
On Friday, a resident, Ramkumar from Kaliyapuram, petitioned Thirumalaiyampalayam Town Panchayat seeking action to control the stray dog menace. “A similar situation arose three months ago when a stray dog bit several people and other dogs. That time we urged the local body to initiate measures to prevent dog bites, but they failed. The authorities should take action for the safety of the public before the situation becomes more dangerous,” Ramkumar told TNIE.
The panchayat president Kavita Uthayakumar forwarded the petition to the Collectorate and said they have sought assistance from the district administration for the dog sterilization and vaccination measures. “We don’t have such facilities in the town panchayat, and have sought help from the district administration.We hope measures will be taken as soon as possible,” she said.