With the increasing stray dog menace in the state, Kerala government has hiked the fund for buying anti-rabies vaccine as it is not being able to control the menace.
Times of India reports that in 2014-15 the government spent Rs 2.7 crore for buying anti-rabies vaccine, while it has earmarked Rs 7.23 crore for the current financial year. In 2013-14 the amount spent was Rs 80 lakhs.
ToI also reports that government bought 2 lakh vials in last 8 months while in 2013 the requirement was 3 lakh vials.
88,172 dog bite cases had been reported in Kerala in 2013 while increased to 1,19,191 cases in 2014 and 67,295 cases reported till July this year.
As per the report deaths due to rabies infection are also a cause of concern. In 2013, 11 people died of rabies infection as a result of dog bites. Number of deaths came down to 10 in 2014. However, this year seven deaths have been reported till July.
Women and children are the main victims of dog attacks. Officials say most of the stray dogs, which bite people, were once domesticated and later abandoned.
“The department has already identified 50 centres across the state for implementing the animal birth control (ABC) programme for sterilizing stray dogs, in association with local self-government department,“ director of animal husbandry department Dr Chandrankutty told TOI.