Lko hospitals see spike in dog bite cases post Diwali

Experts say dog-bite cases usually increase during Diwali as street dogs get aggressive due to noise and smoke from firecrackers.

Several city hospitals have reported a spike in dog bite cases since Diwali.

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The chief medical superintendent of KGMU Trauma Centre, Dr Hemraj Singh, said the wing was administering anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) to 35 people on average every day since October 20, as against four or five earlier.

Dr Rajeev Dixit, Lok Bandhu chief medical superintendent, said the hospital administered the vaccine to 133 people on Diwali and to 130 others since.

Dr Kajali Gupta, the director of Civil Hospital, said it treated 135 dog-bite patients post Diwali. Before, it treated 14 such cases every day.

Dr Kavita Arya, the director of Balrampur Hospital, said 40 to 42 ARV vials were being administered daily, against 30 earlier.

Experts say dog-bite cases usually increase during Diwali as street dogs get aggressive due to noise and smoke from firecrackers. They also say that October to December is also the time for breeding, which is an important reason why street dogs get aggressive.

Dr Abhinav Verma, the veterinary doctor of Lucknow Municipal Corporation, said: “Sound pollution caused by firecrackers increases dogs’ stress level and causes hormonal imbalances in them. Irritation caused by gunpowder smoke from firecrackers is another reason for increased aggression in dogs”.

Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences has also recorded a rise in dog bite cases.