Rabies, a zoonotic disease, kills 55,000 persons every year globally and 20,000 persons in India. Two years back, we learnt of two deaths due to Rabies in remote village Shiv Shankar Garh of Arki block of District Sol...Rabies, a zoonotic disease, kills 55,000 persons every year globally and 20,000 persons in India. Two years back, we learnt of two deaths due to Rabies in remote village Shiv Shankar Garh of Arki block of District Solan and decided to investigate the deaths. Method: A rapid response team was constituted to investigate the deaths. We interviewed the villagers & family to conduct verbal autopsy. A line list of entire population of village and household contacts of the patients, who died, were made along with the line list of dogs and cattle. Results & Discussion: A-month-old stray pup brought home by the family and had caused an abrasion with its toes on the hands of both the deceased on June 2, 2011 while playing. The lady developed paralysis of the arm on July 3, 2011 and 3 days later developed symptoms of hydrophobia. She died on July 9, 2011. Her son had developed hydrophobia 10 days after that and died on July 19, 2011. Assumption that bite or abrasion by a small pup of one month cannot be fatal proved otherwise. Lack of awareness regarding the fatality of even a scratch and lack of knowledge regarding local treatment of the wound & vaccination of both human and pups, were the main reasons for the deaths. While such incidents keep on happening, and the veterinarians in India are refusing to vaccinate pups before three months of age, as pups may not develop immunity before that age, leaving unsuspecting people to the risk of rabies. Conclusions: Humans can be exposed to rabies even by pups below 3 months of age. Recommendation: Pup vaccination schedule in rabies endemic countries like India need revision. Veterinarians and public health experts need to strongly consider vaccinating pups at first contact with humans even if they are less than 3 months of age. A booster to the pup can be given at three months of age with subsequent yearly boosters.展开更多
Background: Complete and timely childhood immunization is one of the most cost-effective interventions in improving child survival in developing countries. Computerized HMIS has been recently introduced to collect agg...Background: Complete and timely childhood immunization is one of the most cost-effective interventions in improving child survival in developing countries. Computerized HMIS has been recently introduced to collect aggregated data on service beneficiaries in Himachal Pradesh. HMIS provides coverage estimates for immunization while information on timeliness is currently not available. Hence we conducted a study to validate coverage and assess the timeliness of immunization in Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh. We surveyed mothers (224) of children aged 12 - 23 months (as on January 2008) and selected 32 clusters in the district between January and March 2008. Design/Methods: We conducted a cross sectional survey and selected 32 clusters by probability proportional to size method whereas seven eligible children per cluster were randomly selected. We interviewed mothers using a structured interview schedule, examined immunization card & looked for Bacillus Calmette Guierre (BCG) Scar. Vaccination after 30 days from national schedule was considered “delayed”. We computed proportions of children completely immunized, immunization delayed, frequency of reasons for delay and 95% Confidence Interval (CI) for significance of associated factors. We conducted a case control analysis of factors associated with timely immunization by taking timely immunized children as cases and delayed immunized ones as controls. Results/Outcome: Reported coverage was universal (100%). Validated full immunization coverage was 94.2% by card/record & 99% by history. Only 29.5% (CI = 20.6% - 37.4%) of children were fully immunized as per schedule (delay less than 30 days). Median delay was 21 days for BCG, 28 days for Diptheria Pertussis Tetanus (DPT 3) and 25 days for measles. Among those with delayed vaccinations, reasons were forgetfulness (36%), lack of correct knowledge (27%) & mother gone to parents’ home (27%) & insufficient children in a camp to open full dose BCG vial (22%). Our case control analysis of timely vaccinated versus delayed vaccination revealed that “precall” (reminder) was significantly [OR = 0.1, CI = 0.2 - 0.5] protective against delayed vaccination. Logistic Regression of delay > 30 days revealed that having returned unimmunized from immunization camp earlier due to insufficient children to open vaccine vial (because of high wastage factor) was significantly associated with delayed immunization (p = 0.0000), while knowledge of date of immunization camp was significantly protective from delayed immunization (p = 0.0026). 68% of the children were having at least one immunization delayed over 30 days from recommended schedule, while the proportion of children whose immunization was delayed by over 90 days was 9.4%. Conclusions: Validated field coverage estimates are lower than reported which can be due to inclusion of children of migrants in numerator & not in the denominator. High proportion of children (>70%) were delayed, suggesting implications for WHO’s strategy of measles control & national Tuberculosis (TB) control programmes, as 4.5% of them had suffered from measles. To avoid delays we recommend (i) use of mono dose vials for BCG;(ii) precall notice to mothers;(iii) modification of HMIS software to track immunization status and timeliness of individual beneficiaries rather than aggregate numbers.展开更多
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 Hi...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 state of immunosuppression after whelping/parturition is also known, therefore there is a possibility of latent rabies virus getting activated due to immunosuppression after litter birth and it is thought to be as one of the probable causes of black bitch getting rabid and inflicting the infection to accompanying brown dog. We need to do further studies to ascertain this phenomenon before coming to a definite conclusion and suspect such a possibility in case a dam suddenly becomes rabid among a pack of stray dogs in rabies endemic countries like ours.展开更多
文摘Rabies, a zoonotic disease, kills 55,000 persons every year globally and 20,000 persons in India. Two years back, we learnt of two deaths due to Rabies in remote village Shiv Shankar Garh of Arki block of District Solan and decided to investigate the deaths. Method: A rapid response team was constituted to investigate the deaths. We interviewed the villagers & family to conduct verbal autopsy. A line list of entire population of village and household contacts of the patients, who died, were made along with the line list of dogs and cattle. Results & Discussion: A-month-old stray pup brought home by the family and had caused an abrasion with its toes on the hands of both the deceased on June 2, 2011 while playing. The lady developed paralysis of the arm on July 3, 2011 and 3 days later developed symptoms of hydrophobia. She died on July 9, 2011. Her son had developed hydrophobia 10 days after that and died on July 19, 2011. Assumption that bite or abrasion by a small pup of one month cannot be fatal proved otherwise. Lack of awareness regarding the fatality of even a scratch and lack of knowledge regarding local treatment of the wound & vaccination of both human and pups, were the main reasons for the deaths. While such incidents keep on happening, and the veterinarians in India are refusing to vaccinate pups before three months of age, as pups may not develop immunity before that age, leaving unsuspecting people to the risk of rabies. Conclusions: Humans can be exposed to rabies even by pups below 3 months of age. Recommendation: Pup vaccination schedule in rabies endemic countries like India need revision. Veterinarians and public health experts need to strongly consider vaccinating pups at first contact with humans even if they are less than 3 months of age. A booster to the pup can be given at three months of age with subsequent yearly boosters.
文摘Background: Complete and timely childhood immunization is one of the most cost-effective interventions in improving child survival in developing countries. Computerized HMIS has been recently introduced to collect aggregated data on service beneficiaries in Himachal Pradesh. HMIS provides coverage estimates for immunization while information on timeliness is currently not available. Hence we conducted a study to validate coverage and assess the timeliness of immunization in Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh. We surveyed mothers (224) of children aged 12 - 23 months (as on January 2008) and selected 32 clusters in the district between January and March 2008. Design/Methods: We conducted a cross sectional survey and selected 32 clusters by probability proportional to size method whereas seven eligible children per cluster were randomly selected. We interviewed mothers using a structured interview schedule, examined immunization card & looked for Bacillus Calmette Guierre (BCG) Scar. Vaccination after 30 days from national schedule was considered “delayed”. We computed proportions of children completely immunized, immunization delayed, frequency of reasons for delay and 95% Confidence Interval (CI) for significance of associated factors. We conducted a case control analysis of factors associated with timely immunization by taking timely immunized children as cases and delayed immunized ones as controls. Results/Outcome: Reported coverage was universal (100%). Validated full immunization coverage was 94.2% by card/record & 99% by history. Only 29.5% (CI = 20.6% - 37.4%) of children were fully immunized as per schedule (delay less than 30 days). Median delay was 21 days for BCG, 28 days for Diptheria Pertussis Tetanus (DPT 3) and 25 days for measles. Among those with delayed vaccinations, reasons were forgetfulness (36%), lack of correct knowledge (27%) & mother gone to parents’ home (27%) & insufficient children in a camp to open full dose BCG vial (22%). Our case control analysis of timely vaccinated versus delayed vaccination revealed that “precall” (reminder) was significantly [OR = 0.1, CI = 0.2 - 0.5] protective against delayed vaccination. Logistic Regression of delay > 30 days revealed that having returned unimmunized from immunization camp earlier due to insufficient children to open vaccine vial (because of high wastage factor) was significantly associated with delayed immunization (p = 0.0000), while knowledge of date of immunization camp was significantly protective from delayed immunization (p = 0.0026). 68% of the children were having at least one immunization delayed over 30 days from recommended schedule, while the proportion of children whose immunization was delayed by over 90 days was 9.4%. Conclusions: Validated field coverage estimates are lower than reported which can be due to inclusion of children of migrants in numerator & not in the denominator. High proportion of children (>70%) were delayed, suggesting implications for WHO’s strategy of measles control & national Tuberculosis (TB) control programmes, as 4.5% of them had suffered from measles. To avoid delays we recommend (i) use of mono dose vials for BCG;(ii) precall notice to mothers;(iii) modification of HMIS software to track immunization status and timeliness of individual beneficiaries rather than aggregate numbers.
文摘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 state of immunosuppression after whelping/parturition is also known, therefore there is a possibility of latent rabies virus getting activated due to immunosuppression after litter birth and it is thought to be as one of the probable causes of black bitch getting rabid and inflicting the infection to accompanying brown dog. We need to do further studies to ascertain this phenomenon before coming to a definite conclusion and suspect such a possibility in case a dam suddenly becomes rabid among a pack of stray dogs in rabies endemic countries like ours.
