Dog bites have become a major public health issue in Tamil Nadu. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people are bitten by dogs. At first glance, this looks like a very serious threat to public safety. But when we look deeper, the number of people dying from rabies is very small compared to the huge number of bite cases. This contrast is the bitter truth — rabies can be deadly, but with proper medical care, it is almost always preventable.
✸What happens when a dog abites?
When a dog bites, it breaks the skin and creates a wound. If the dog is infected with rabies, the virus can be present in its saliva. Through the wound, the rabies virus enters the human body.
Scientific name: Rabies virus
Family: Rhabdoviridae
The virus does not spread through the blood at first. Instead, it attacks the nervous system (neurons).
✸How does rabies affect the body?
➊. At the wound site, the virus multiplies for a few days.
➋. Along the nerves – It then travels slowly through nearby nerves.
➌. Reaches the brain – Once it enters the brain, it attacks the central nervous system (CNS).
➍. Symptoms appear – At this stage, the disease is fatal.
Common symptoms include:
Fever, headache, irritation
Anxiety, aggression, confusion
Hydrophobia (fear of water)
Aerophobia (fear when air touches the face)
Spasms, paralysis, breathing difficulty, and finally death
Critical fact: Once symptoms appear, rabies has no cure. It leads to death in nearly 100% of cases.
✸.Situation in Tamil Nadu (2023–2025)
2023 – Around 440,000 dog bite cases, but only 18 rabies deaths.
2024 – Around 480,000 cases, with 24–40 deaths (depending on reports).
2025 – Already more than 300,000 cases reported so far, but only about 18 deaths.
❖. Even though lakhs of people are bitten every year, rabies deaths are less than 0.01% of total cases. This shows how effective Tamil Nadu’s health system has been in prevention.
✸.Medical Prevention (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis – PEP)
If a person is bitten by a dog, the following steps are critical:
➊. Wound washing – Wash the wound immediately with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes.
➋. Visit a hospital – Go to the nearest government hospital or Primary Health Centre (PHC).
➌. Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) – Depending on the severity, 4–5 vaccine doses are given.
➍. Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG) – For severe bites, this is injected directly into and around the wound for added protection.
❖ With this treatment, rabies can be 100% prevented. This is why Tamil Nadu, despite high bite cases, reports very few deaths.
✸.Social and Public Health Challenges
Lack of awareness – Many people ignore small dog bites and fail to get treated.
Delayed treatment – Some wait too long or rely on traditional remedies.
Stray dog population – Most bite incidents come from stray dogs, which remain a challenge.
✸.The Road Ahead
Tamil Nadu has already shown progress in reducing rabies deaths. But the ultimate goal is zero rabies deaths. To achieve this:
Mass dog vaccination campaigns must be expanded.
Public awareness programs should continue, teaching people to act immediately after bites.
Anti-rabies vaccines and immunoglobulin should remain available at all health centres without interruption.
✸.Conclusion:
Dog bites are a huge public health issue in Tamil Nadu, but rabies deaths are rare thanks to timely vaccination and treatment. Still, every death is a preventable tragedy.
The bitter truth is this:
Dog bites may be common. Rabies deaths may be rare. But every single death happens only because of missed or delayed treatment — and every one of them could have been avoided.
Written by
Eelaththu Nilavan
21/08/2025
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Amizhthu’s editorial stance.
