Mission Rabies Goa
Monthly Report – January 2018
Vaccination
During 2017, Mission Rabies achieved their goal and managed to vaccinate the entire state of Goa. This was a huge achievement and everyone worked extremely hard. The map below (Figure 1) highlights the vaccination coverage achieved in 2017 and as a new year begins, the teams have already started rotating around the state again catching and vaccinating as many dogs as possible.
Goa State Total Vaccination Coverage – 2017 Review
Figure 1.Total vaccination coverage achieved in Goa during 2017
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Total number of dogs vaccinated in January 2018 = 10,220
The vaccination teams have made excellent progress during the first month of 2018 and all eight teams are currently working together to complete Salcete Taluka in South Goa. The teams commenced vaccination in Salcete at the end of October 2017 and the taluka is expected to be completed by mid-February. The map below (Figure 2) shows the vaccination coverage achieved during January 2018. The red areas were completed in 2017 where as the green areas were completed in 2018. The areas marked in grey are pending vaccination.
Salcete Taluka Vaccination Coverage
Figure 2. Salcete Taluka – Vaccination coverage January 2018
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Rabies Cases
Total number of positive rabies cases in January 2018 = 10
January 2018, has been a busy month for the MR/WVS Rabies Response Team (RRT) with the first rabid dog of the year safely caught and removed from Candolim in North Goa on New Year’s Day. The team attended to a total of seventeen suspected rabies cases this month. Ten were confirmed positive for rabies, six were negative upon post-mortem and one was released following a period of observation. The table below gives details of each positive rabies case including a cow which had died on Palolem beach (Figure 3), a major tourist resort in South Goa. The cow was restrained by locals after developing
abnormal behavior but died prior to the Figure 3. Dead cow on Palolem beach confirmed positive for rabies team’s arrival.
Neutered Owned or Date of rabies case Taluk Ward/Area Male/Female Age or entire Stray 01.01.18 Bardez Candolim Male Entire 3 years Stray 02.01.18 Bardez Anjuna Male Entire 2 years Stray 04.01.18 Salcete Orlim Male Entire 2 years Owned 09.01.18 Bardez Arpora Male Entire 10 years Stray 10.01.18 Salcete Chinchinim Female Entire 6 years Stray 17.01.18 Canacona Canacona MCL Female Entire 2 years Stray (cow) 17.01.18 Bardez Candolim Female Entire 4 years Stray 21.01.18 Bardez Anjuna Female Neutered 6 years Stray 23.01.18 Bardez Candolim Male Neutered 4 years Stray 30.01.18 Salcete Cuncolim Female Entire 7 years Stray
One particular case responded to by the RRT highlights the importance of the twenty-four hour rabies hotline number in addition to, education and community engagement. Dr Sanjay managed the case which involved a one year old male dog that was not vaccinated by the team last year. The dog was not tied when the teams 3 came for vaccination and ran away. The other dog in the household was tied and received its vaccination from the Mission Rabies team. Several weeks later an unknown dog entered their compound and fought with their unvaccinated dog. The stray dog subsequently disappeared and the owners did not worry too much as dog fights are a common occurrence in India. However, after sometime their dog started acting strangely, biting objects and even tried to the bite the owner and tore his clothes when he went to feed the dog. The family had no idea what to do so kept the dog tied outside their house for three days. They consulted a local veterinarian who only advised them to kill the dog but this was not something they could do themselves.
The family’s eight year old son (Figure 4) suddenly remembered that Mission Rabies had previously visited his school and he had noted down the rabies hotline number which was displayed on a poster in his classroom. His parents called the number and the RRT immediately responded to the case. The dog was taken away by the team and humanely euthanised. A post-mortem was conducted (Figure 5) and the dog was confirmed positive for rabies (Figure 6).
Figure 5. Dog was humanely euthanised for post-mortem
Figure 6. Lateral flow test displaying positive result for Figure 4. 8 year old son kept record of Mission Rabies rabies hotline number
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Team Structure
On the 1st January 2018, two new WVS vets joined the Mission Rabies teams for their five week rotation. Dr Vineeta (Figure 7) and Dr Shashank (Figure 8) came from the WVS ITC in Ooty and will be joning WVS Hicks in Goa next month. Both have taken to their team leader roles with great enthusiasim and shown good commitment to the vaccination work.
Figure 7. Dr Vineeta and her vaccination team Figure 8. Dr Shashank and his vaccination team
Meetings
Dr Murugan – Mission Rabies Director of India Education, his education team and Raju – Mission Rabies Survey Manager/Assistant to Management (Figures 9 and 10) have had a busy start to the new year travelling across Goa, organising and attending municipality meetings to increase awareness and support for Mission rabies. The meetings have been a huge success and further meetings at panchayat level and within local communities are being planned for 2018.
Figure 9. Dr Murugan, Raju, and Rakesh (MR Figure 10. Dr Murugan presenting on the work of Mission rabies to Education Officer) meeting the Chief Officer in officials in Ponda Municipality Quepem Municipality
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Other News
The teams vaccinate all areas and in January 2018 the teams were granted permission to enter a large military base and several industrial areas in Salcete (Figure 11). They have also been busy with rescues (injured dogs the teams catch whilst out vaccinating) and working alongside local NGO’s (Figures 12 and 13).
Figure 11. Vaccination team adhering to health and safety regulations in industrial area
Figure 12. A young dog being released back Figure 13. Team assisting local NGO to catch an injured dog on the beach where to its original location following treatment they were vaccinating at a local NGO
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Happy New Year!
The vaccination teams took a well-deserved holiday on 1st January 2018. Time was spent on the beach celebrating the New Year as well as a few birthdays and the achievements of 2017 (Figures 14 and 15).
Figure 14. Celebrating with cake and welcoming in the New Year
Figure 15. Team fun on the beach on New Year’s Day
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Catch of the month!
The teams really have been on top form during January 2018. The newest recruits have been demonstrating their catching skills with many of them catching two or even three dogs at the same time. All of the dog catchers/animal handlers shown in the photos below have been with Mission Rabies for just three to six months.
Even Anmesh – Mission Rabies Project Assistant (bottom right) has been going to great lengths to vaccinate as many dogs as possible!
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Trying some hand-catching too!
Mission Rabies Goa Project Summary
Year Vaccination Total
2013 5,767 2014 24,306 2015 56,681 2016 51,294 2017 96,033 2018 to date 10,220 Grand Total 244,301
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