%0 Journal Article
%T Spontaneous Rabies in a Stray Bitch after Parturition Induced Immunosuppression <br/>¡ªInvestigating an Impending Outbreak of Rabies with One Health Approach
%A Omesh Kumar Bharti
%A Hamender Sharma
%A Uppinder Sharma
%A Archana Phull
%J World Journal of Vaccines
%P 1-8
%@ 2160-5823
%D 2016
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/wjv.2016.61001
%X Background: Rabies is endemic in India and every half an hour a person dies of this dreaded disease.
Stray roaming dogs, mostly unvaccinated, are most dangerous host in spread of rabies in India
and in our state of Himachal Pradesh. Timely prophylaxis is the only method to save animal
bite victims, including that of rabid dog bite patients. Objectives: Objective of this study was to investigate
an impending outbreak of rabies in Shimla town in the absence of life saving rabies immunoglobulins
(RIGs) in the market, and to know the source of infection by using one health approach
and using epidemiological tools. Methods: On April 7, 2015, there was a sudden surge in
cases of suspected rabid dog bites. Impending rabies outbreak was suspected as there were no
RIGs available in the market. A rapid Response Team (RRT) consisting of the author, veterinary
doctor, dog squad of Municipal Corporation (MC) Shimla along with the vehicles to impound rabid
dogs was constituted to investigate the terror spread by two rabid dogs on biting spree in the
Shimla Municipality. Results: A total of 18 people were bitten by suspected rabid dogs within three
days period. A black bitch and a brown dog, on the identity of affected people, were captured by
the dog squad of Municipality next day on April 8, 2015 and taken to Dog Sterilization Centre, Animal
Birth Control (ABC) programme, MC Shimla for observation. The most furious Black bitch
died of clinically confirmed symptoms of furious rabies after three days. The second rabid dog,
brown in color, died after a month of observation due to paralytic dumb rabies. The brain of the
brown dog was extracted for Fluorescent Antibody Testing (FAT) at central research Institute (CRI) Kasauli and was found to be positive for FAT. Follow up of patients was 100% by house to house
visit and over telephone and no casualty was reported. Conclusion: While we were working on
hypothesis of rabid dogs getting the infection from nearby forest about 8 - 10 KM away but on follow
up of the patients, they reported that both the dog and bitch used to stay in the compound of
their colony since the bitch was pregnant and there was no history of the bitch moving for away to
forests neither any outside dog which was seen near them in the compound. This led us to think of
other causes of what must had happened to the bitch that caused her to be rabid as for the past 9
years we had observed bitches becoming rabid after litter birth (Whelping) and making their pups
rabid due to licking. Since the carrier state for rabies virus in bitches/dogs is known and a
%K Human Rabies
%K Dog Rabies
%K Rabies Outbreak
%K Local Rabies Immunoglobulins
%K Anti Rabies Vaccination
%K Immunosuppression
%K FAT Testing
%K ONE Health
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=63888