26 people in TN’s Chengalpattu area bitten by stray dog

Twenty-six people, including two children, were bitten by a stray dog at Vallam village in Chengalpattu, reports the New Indian Express.

The victims were treated at the Government Hospital in Chengalpattu Medical College hospital but the incident has reportedly created a rabies scare in the area. 

Dr Palani, deputy Director of Health Service, Chengalpattu, told TNIE, " The dog has bitten 26 people including 7 women. However officials are yet to confirm whether the dog was infected with rabies. The field medical officers will identify the dog tomorrow and follow up actions will be taken."

The victims of the attack have all reportedly been administered anti-rabies injection. Most of them, according to the report, suffered injuries on their hands and legs. 

Meanwhile, the dog that went on a biting spree was caught by a team of dog catchers from Blue Cross on Wednesday evening, as per a report in The Times of India. 

The last such reported incident in Tamil Nadu was in 2014, when a stray dog went on a biting spree injuring 45 people at different places in Rajapalayam town in the district of Virudhunagar.

In the neighbouring state of Kerala however, the stray dog menace has led to several deaths and even became a matter of debate in the Assembly.

A Supreme Court appointed panel found 5,948 cases of stray dog attacks in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram in 2015-16 alone. 

In addition to a lack of expert dog catchers, trained vets and poor infrastructural support, the panel found that lack of waste management was the main contributing factor to the rise of stray dogs.