Jammu and Kashmir administration has declared ‘human rabies’ as a ‘notifiable disease’ and has directed all government and private health facilities to immediately report all suspicions to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the concerned districts of Union Territory.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 2 of the Epidemic Disease Act 1987 (Act No. 3 of 1987), the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir hereby declares “Human Rabies” as a notified disease in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” a notification issued by the Health and Medical Education Department said on Thursday.
The notification has directed all private and government health facilities, including the Medical College, to immediately report all suspected, probable, and confirmed cases of “human rabies” to the CMO of the district concerned with a copy to the State Nodal Officer National Rabies Control Programme.
The order further stated that for the death of a human with a history of dog bites a few weeks or months preceding death, wherever available, the details of such cases should be shared with name, age, gender, and address.
Rabies is an acute virus that affects all warm-blooded animals, including humans, and is caused by animal bites that have a high fatality rate.
India accounts for 59.9 percent of rabies deaths in Asia and 35 percent of deaths globally. However, rabies is completely preventable by timely and appropriate post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
