From just two deaths due to rabies infection in 2016 to 11 such incidents in 2021. Fourteen so far this year. A total of 65,000 doses of anti-rabies immunoglobulins were purchased in 2018-19 while 1,40,000 doses have been bought for 2022-23.
These alarming figures along with the frequency of rabies deaths in vaccinated people have led public health experts to seek detailed scientific studies to find out the reasons behind the phenomenon.
There is a possibility of a rise in the number of stray dogs due to lack of proper waste management in the pandemic years, says T. Jayakrishnan, Professor and Head of the Department of Community Medicine, KMCT Medical College, Kozhikode.
