The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Prevalence of rabies high in north Chennai

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Prevalence of rabies high in north Chennai

Staff Reporter

Seven doctors awarded for surgery on circus hippopotamus

VACCINATION: N. Balaraman, Vice-Chancellor, TANUVAS (right), administering anti-rabies vaccine to a pet dog at the Madras Veterinary College on Monday. Dr. P. Dhanapalan, Director of Clinics, TANUVAS (second from right), is also seen. — PHOTO: M. VEDHAN

Chennai: A large number of dogs affected by rabies come from North Chennai, S. Prathapan, Head of department, Clinics, Madras Veterinary College, said today.

Poor awareness

He said that the major area in North Chennai where dogs were affected with rabies was Vyasarpadi, attributing it to low education levels and a lack of awareness about vaccination and animal birth control programmes in the area.

Around 357 animals were brought today for the free anti-rabies vaccination camp, held at the college for the fifth year in a row.

N. Balaraman, Vice-Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) inaugurated the programme. P. Dhanapalan, Director of Clinics, TANUVAS, also participated in the inauguration of the camp.

Later in the evening, awards were presented to a team of seven doctors, V.N. Appaji Rao, vice- chairman, Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), K. Ameerjan, B. Suresh Kumar, Justin Williams, R. Nagarajan, C. Ramani Nagarajan and S. Jayakumar for a successful surgery carried out on a circus hippopotamus.

The award carried a citation and cash prize of Rs. 10,000 and was presented by the People for Animals and ATRA/Gruppo di Studio Sulle Tradizioni Violente. Dr. V.N. Appaji Rao, gave away the cash award to Yagna Prabha of the Sathya Sai Prani Seva Shelter.

Presentation

R. Suresh Kumar, Professor and Head of the Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, made a presentation on how efforts were made to trim the tusk of Raja, the male Nile Hippo, aged 31 years and weighing 2,500 kgs.

The animal was suffering for six months and was unable to chew any food because the 10-inch long overgrown canine teeth were pricking the upper lip and gums. The animal also had keratitis and corneal oedema. The animal was not fed for 24 hours prior to the surgery.

The anaesthetic was injected near the anal sphincter and complete sedation was achieved in seven minutes. The tusks on both sides were trimmed with a wire saw in 20 minutes making the edges smooth.

C.K. Sreedharan, Chief Wildlife Warden, Sugalchand Jain of the Singhvi Charitable Trust, Shiranee Pereira of the PFA, participated in the programme.

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