Five people bitten by stray dog in Kanjiravilakom; dog confirmed to have rabies

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Nearly five people were bitten by a stray dog in two days in Kanjiravilakom in Pettah. The stray dog bit the five people on Friday and Saturday. The dog, which was being kept under observation at the Pettah Veterinary Centre, died yesterday morning. The dog was confirmed to have rabies after a post-mortem was conducted at the State Institute of Animal Diseases in Palode.

Two women and three men were bitten by the dog. According to sources, the dog had been wandering in the area for the past few days.

The dog first bit two Kanjiravilakom natives on Friday morning when they were going for a morning walk. Later, it bit a middle-aged man who was on his way home. Although a dog-catching team arrived at the area after receiving information, they were not able to find the dog anywhere.

On Saturday, the dog bit two more people in the area. Following this, the team from the Corporation arrived at the spot and caught the dog after searching the entire area for several hours. The five individuals bitten by the dog received medical treatment and vaccination at the General Hospital.

The Health section of the Corporation will conduct an inspection to find if the rabies-infected dog had come in contact with other dogs in the area.

Stray dogs released into nearby areas after sterilization
It is alleged that dogs captured from various parts of the city are sterilized at the Pettah Veterinary Hospital and released into the nearby area after a recovery period. This is said to be the reason for the increasing stray dog menace in and around Pettah. It is also alleged that the authorities are not taking action despite repeated complaints.