If officials of the Health and Animal Husbandry Department find everything in order, then Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu could become the first rabies-free district in India. No cases of rabies have been reported in the district for almost a decade, say reports.
Sinduja Jane of The New Indian Express reports that government officials say that groundwork is yet to be completed, but once it is, the World Health Organization could be asked to make the declaration.
TNIE reports,
“To declare rabies-free, there should be no case reported in 10 years. We checked all the medical records and there was no case reported in the last decade, making Nilgiris eligible for this. However, we do not want to jump the gun and do it immediately, and then find a case. To be extra careful, we are going to have an intensified surveillance programme,” said a senior Health department official.
Simultaneously, an awareness programmes is also reportedly being implemented.
“Doctors will be taught the treatment protocol for dog bite, vaccination etc. Information on rabies will be distributed among the public. Domestic animals that are potential carriers of rabies will be screened and vaccinated,” the official added.
It is important to note here that Nilgiris is home to the Pasteur Institute of India at Coonoor, which is a pioneer in anti-rabies vaccination. Officials credit the Institute and the Health Department for the near-eradication of rabies.