National Rabies Control Program – NRCP
Recently, the National Rabies Control Program (NRCP) has been started by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the prevention and control of rabies.
The program aims at provision of Rabies Vaccine and Rabies Immune Globulin through National Free Drug Initiative.
Strengthen training for prevention and control of rabies, management of biting animals, surveillance and inter-sectoral cooperation, and monitoring of reporting of animal bites and rabies deaths.
Rabies:
- Rabies is a vaccine-preventable zoonotic viral disease. It is caused by ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus which is present in the saliva of rabid animal (dog, cat, monkey etc.).
- It is spread essentially after the bite of an infected animal by the deposition of saliva and virus in the wound.
- Rabies is almost 100% fatal once clinical symptoms appear. Death occurs in four days to two weeks due to cardio-respiratory failure.
- Domestic dogs are responsible for the transmission of the rabies virus to humans in 99% of cases.
- The incubation period varies from 2-3 months, but it can vary from 1 week to 1 year or sometimes more.
- The primary symptoms of rabies can be similar to flu and last for a few days, include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, confusion, hyperactivity, difficulty swallowing, excessive salivation, hallucinations, insomnia, etc.
Treatment: Rabies can be prevented by vaccinating pets, staying away from wildlife, and getting potential exposure medical care before symptoms start.
Status of Rabies in India:
- India is endemic for rabies and 36% of the total rabies deaths in the world are related to India.
- Rabies causes 18000-20000 deaths every year. About 30–60% of reported rabies cases and deaths in India involve children under the age of 15, as bite marks in children are often not recognized and reported.
- Dogs are responsible for about 97% of human rabies cases in India, followed by cats (2%), jackals, mongooses and others (1%). The disease is endemic throughout the country.
Initiatives for the elimination of Rabies:
The government has launched the ‘National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE)’ for the elimination of rabies caused by dogs in India by the year 2030. It is the duty of the local bodies to control and manage the population of stray dogs.
Source – PIB
