Buffalo of a dairy farmer was allegedly bitten by a dog, but he did not administer an anti-rabies vaccine and continued supplying milk to villagers.
A vaccine camp was arranged after a calf died while drinking the milk of a mother buffalo, which was bitten by a rabid dog. (Creative Commons)
Around 300 people — who were administered the first doze of the anti-rabies vaccines on Saturday, 20 May, after the death of a buffalo calf due to suspected rabies in a village in Chintalamanepally mandal of Kumaram Bheem Asifabad district — are now set to receive two more doses.
The incident had caused panic among villagers as they used to buy milk from the owner of the buffalo whose calf died.
A vaccine camp was arranged after the calf died after drinking the milk of the mother buffalo, which had been bitten earlier by a suspected rabid dog.
Rabies is fatal viral disease that is spread through dogs and other mammals. It is transmissible through the saliva to humans and is said to cause convulsions and even death.
As per reports, the buffalo of the dairy farmer was bitten by a dog a few days. However, the owner did not administer an anti-rabies vaccine to the buffalo.
“The buffalo owner continued supplying milk to the families in the village,” Kumaram Bheem Asifabad’s Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) K Ramakrishna told South First.
Meanwhile, its calf died after consuming the buffalo’s milk.
“The calf expired within 24 hours of drinking the mother buffalo’s milk. I don’t know whether it’s a coincidence or accident. But due to this, the villagers panicked, fearing they would get rabies,” Ramakrishna said.
The villagers reportedly approached the gram panchayat office who, in turn, contacted the district health authorities.
“We arranged a special health camp and asked all the villagers to take the vaccine. We are also spreading awareness and asking villagers not to panic as rabies treatment is completely available,” Ramakrishna said.
He added that the second anti-rabies vaccine will be administered on 22 May while the third and last on the seventh day after the first vaccine.
Meanwhile, a veterinary doctor is examining the dog who had bitten the buffalo.
Over the past few months, there have been several incidents of stray dogs attacking children, and even mauling them to death, in Telangana.
As per reports, at least four children have lost their lives in three months due to the stray dog menace.
As recently as on 19 May, an eight-year-old boy was killed when a pack of stray dogs stray dogs attacked him in Warangal district.
The incident occurred near Kazipet railway quarters when the boy went to attend nature’s call. His parents had come from Uttar Pradesh in search of a livelihood. The boy reportedly died on the spot.
On 1 March, around four stray dogs attacked a five-year-old boy Rohith at the Pochamma temple in the Kashibugga area under the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) limits.
In March, a 5-year-old boy succumbed to rabies after being attacked by a stray dog while playing outside on the streets in Telangana’s Khammam district.
In another dreadful incident, a four-year-old boy — Pradeep, the son of security guard M Gangadhar, from the Nizamabad district.— was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs on 19 February in state capital Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, social media was horrified as CCTV footage of the incident was circulated widely.
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