RABIES IN INDIA: A RELOOK AT THE NEGLECTED RAMPANT DISEASE
Özet
Rabies is a tropical zoonotic disease, transmitted to human being by carnivorous animals. Majority of human rabies cases were reported
from Asia and African countries. India recorded more deaths from rabies than any other country in the world. There is no effective
treatment for rabies; it can only be prevented by vaccination. It needs multiple levels of interventions at human and animal level.
World Health Organization’s target is to eliminate the disease by 2020 in endemic South-East Asian countries which include India. Key
challenges in control of rabies in India are lack of intersectoral coordination, weak surveillance system on rabies, inadequate rabies
research and lack of sustainability. To conclude, breaking the rabies cycle in a sustained manner is necessary to eliminate rabies from
this part of the world.