MARGAO, NOV 18
Beware, children are the main victims of rabies with over 50 per cent of all deaths.
If the Asian Rabies Experts Bureau is to be believed, inspite of the existing anti-rabies biologicals, 55,000 human rabies deaths occur every year worldwide, including about 20,000 in India.
The 7th AREB meeting in Goa reviewed the current rabies situation, building the foundation for new project development and asses the best practices I rabies prevention.
The experts contended that rabies vaccination can also be administered before potentially being bitten, and particularly children leaving in endemic areas.
“In areas, where canine rabies is endemic, it is our duty to protect the children through vaccination”, said AREB members. “Children are most vulnerable; they play outdoors with dogs; they often do not report minor bites, scratch or licks to their parents and because of their short stature, they are often bitten on the head or fingers. In case of a bite, those children who have received preventive immunization only require a reduced vaccination schedule and do not require any rabies immunoglobulin”.
AREB members acknowledged that comprehensive rabies control programs have to be implemented, including pre-exposure vaccination, optimizing post-exposure prohypaxis, rabies control in dogs, including dog vaccination and population management and improving education on responsible dog ownership.
Incidentally, the AREB has acknowledged the initiatives launched by the Indian government to promote rabies awareness, as well as the contribution of non-governmental organizations, notably from the Association for Prevention and Control of Rabies in India, the Rabies in Asia Foundation and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control.
Said an AREB member: “Rabies is a disease transmitted through the bite of an infected animal, most of human cases are caused by the bite of an infected dog. It is a 100 per cent fatal disease: Once the first symptoms occur, it inexorably leads to death”.
Another member, however, said that rabies is a preventable disease. “It can be prevented by immunization, even after being exposed to risk, providing a timely and appropriate treatment. It consists of immediate and extensive washing of all wounds with soap and water followed by vaccination with an effective anti-rabies vaccine”, he said.
