Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services Observes World Rabies Day 2026

Veterinary Hospital Junglighat Hosts Main Awareness Event

The primary regional event took place in the Conference Hall of the Veterinary Hospital in Junglighat, aiming to educate younger generations and the public on rabies prevention and control. Dr. A. K. Bardhan, a retired senior veterinary officer, served as the chief guest for the gathering. The Director and Joint Director of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services attended alongside Dr. C. Ramakrishnan, Senior Veterinary Officer at the Junglighat facility. Officials discussed transmission vectors, clinical signs, and containment strategies for more than 40 participating college students. During this main session, staff administered anti-rabies vaccines to 23 pets, including dogs and cats.

Islands Conduct Targeted Vaccination and Birth Control Drives

Veterinary teams deployed targeted interventions across multiple island locations to curb stray populations and protect domestic animals. At the Veterinary Dispensary in Shaheed Dweep, staff executed an Anti-Rabies Vaccination Camp that inoculated 22 animals. Meanwhile, personnel at the Veterinary Sub-Dispensary in Hut Bay carried out Animal Birth Control operations on five dogs, including three females and two males. One of the treated dogs belonged to a pet owner from the Nicobari tribal community of Harminder Bay. In Car Nicobar, Deputy Commissioner Shri Amit Kale inaugurated a free vaccination camp at the Veterinary Hospital alongside Tribal Council Chairman Shri Lionel Nicomed and Deputy Vice Chairman Shri John Levi. Two ITI students were named ‘Guardians of the Voiceless’ during the camp, and farmers received free chicks distributed under the National Livestock Mission.

School Outreach Programs Target Students and Pet Owners

Educational outreach extended directly into local classrooms as part of the territorial campaign. The Veterinary Dispensary in Manglutan hosted an awareness session at Government Middle School in Guptapara to instruct students and teachers on bite prevention, responsible pet ownership, and immediate first-aid steps following animal exposure. Staff vaccinated five dogs during the visit. Additional educational camps reached students at GSS Tamaloo, ITI Arong, and Saraswati Shishu Mandir Senior Secondary School in Pathargudda, where Senior Veterinary Officers led instructional briefings on disease control.

Global Context on Rabies Mortality and Prevention

The local initiatives align with international awareness campaigns coordinated by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, which marks World Rabies Day annually on September 28. Rabies carries a fatality rate approaching 100 percent once clinical symptoms appear, claiming nearly 59,000 lives globally each year. Public health authorities emphasize that dog-mediated rabies remains preventable through coordinated community vaccination and population management efforts.