241 rabid stray dogs identified in Chennai this year

Two hundred and forty-one rabid stray dogs have been identified in Chennai since January, raising concerns among animal activists about public safety and civic vaccination drives. Officials in the veterinary section of the Greater Chennai Corporation stated that 68 of these animals had undergone animal birth control surgeries before dying and testing positive for rabies through postmortem examinations. Animal activists called the numbers highly alarming due to the risk of asymptomatic rabies cases. Shravan Krishnan, director of Besant Memorial Animal Dispensary, said, “Rabid dogs must not be brought inside these centres.” Activist RA Kirthana stated that dogs still exhibit symptoms even during dumb rabies. Greater Chennai Corporation officials reported that the stray dog population stands at two lakh, with 87 percent covered in recent vaccination drives costing Rs 3.5 crore. Civic officials explained that dogs picked up for animal birth control surgeries are observed for 12 to six days, but live dogs cannot be tested reliably for rabies. Following positive confirmations, authorities carry out ring vaccination within a two-and-a-half-kilometre radius and sanitise spaces where the infected animals were kept.