Infected animals killed 28 persons in 2022

Country runs out of anti-rabies vaccine for animals

By Nimal Gunathilake

Rabies might spread in the country rapidly in 2023 due to a severe shortage of the anti-rabies vaccine, Public Health Veterinary Service Director Dr. L.D. Kithsiri said.

Dr. Kithsiri said they were running out of vaccines given to dogs and it was not available in storage units in Kandy, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Colombo, and Gampaha as well as at their main storage unit.

Twenty eight people had died last year from rabies and out of that 17 had contracted the disease from dog bites, Dr. Kithsiri said.

“Three got infected from cat, mongoose and fox bites. Eight others had no idea how they were infected. We are carrying out vaccination programmes until February using the doses available in other regional storage units. But as it is, there will be no vaccination from February,” he said.

Dr. Kithsiri said Sri Lanka was to get vaccines from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funding but it has been delayed.

In 2022, they had vaccinated a million dogs and sterilized 40,000 female dogs, he said.

“There is no shortage of vaccines given to humans who are hospitalised but this might change really fast if rabies spreads among dogs. In the recent past, those who are infected with rabies reduced rapidly because of the vaccination of dogs,” he said.