The two-year-old child who was mauled by a pack of dogs on Thursday is one of the many such victims. Statistics about dog-bites from the Government Wenlock Hospital present a grim picture. As many as 671 persons have been treated for dog-bites in the hospital this year, while five persons have died of rabies infection.
Resident Medical Officer of Government Wenlock Hospital S. Erappa said that the hospital has, on an average, been getting 100 dog-bite cases every month.
These cases, mostly from the city and neighbouring areas, have been ranging from mere scratch wound to deep wounds, which are serious ones.
All the 671 persons have been given anti-rabies vaccination and they have not reported infection so far.
Dr. Erappa said that dog-bites are classified into three categories. While scratch wounds are treated as grade one, the bites that expose the subcutaneous layer of the skin is considered grade two. The third is a condition where the dog has snatched flesh. Normally, doctors administer antigen that produces antibodies to fight rabies. If the case is a serious one, doctors administer immunoglobulin that has a set of antibodies to fight rabies.
This is given four times over a period of 28 days. Each injection costs around Rs. 300.
The hospital provides this treatment free for those from below the poverty line. Dr. Erappa said that rabies infection is generally noticed between nine and 90 days after a dog-bite. “If there are no strains after three months, then the person is safe,” he said.
