Prevention is better than cure, they say. Prevention is a must when there is no cure - that was the message spread by Jusco in Jamshedpur on World Rabies Day.
Accompanied by 100-odd schoolchildren and social activists, vets associated with the Tata Steel subsidiary and Humane Society International joined a kilometre-long awareness rally from Sakchi roundabout to Jusco Veterinary Hospital on Wednesday morning.
Jusco's ethics co-ordinator A.P. Singh flagged off the rally, which ended in a free check-up and vaccination camp for pets at the veterinary hospital. Thirty-two dogs were vaccinated against rabies, a viral disease that spreads when an infected animal scratches or bites another animal or human.
World Rabies Day, first observed in 2007, is an international campaign co-ordinated by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, a nonprofit with headquarters in the US and the UK. The day is marked on September 28, the death anniversary of Louis Pasteur who developed the first efficacious rabies vaccine.
Rabies causes acute inflammation of the brain in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: violent movements, uncontrolled excitement, fear of water, inability to move parts of the body, confusion and loss of consciousness.
In unvaccinated humans, rabies is almost always fatal after neurological symptoms have developed. Rabies causes around 24,000 to 60,000 deaths worldwide every year. Vaccination after exposure is highly successful in preventing the disease if administered promptly, in general within six days of the infection.
Dr Satish Raghorte of Jusco Veterinary Hospital said a low awareness level was the primary deterrent in the battle against rabies.
"Our message is: educate, vaccinate and eliminate. Vaccination of pets and humans is necessary to avoid the viral disease. Those bitten by vaccinated pets avoid their own shot, which can prove disastrous later. Symptoms can appear after a year or even after five years. Rabies vaccine is important because there is no medication," the doctor warned.
For starters, vet Rajesh Kumar Pandey of Humane Society International said, a person bitten by a dog, cat or any such animal should wash the wound with soap under running water and then seek immediate medical help.
"The rabies virus is common in stray dogs and their population should be controlled through sterilisation. We have sterilised 18,186 dogs since 2013. If we find any dog with rabies-like symptoms, we isolate the animal," Pandey said, adding that the rally was a positive step towards preventing the disease.
"I knew that rabies is caused by dog bites. But, now I know it can be fatal and what I must do to prevent it. The programme organised by Jusco was enlightening," said Abhishek Raj, a Class XI student of Kasidih High School who took part in the rally.
