First Report on dog bite epidemiology and Rabies diagnosis in stray dogs: A One health study from Puducherry

Abhiram Naidu Killada¹Bhanu Rekha V^1*Shrikrishna Isloor²Ajay Kumar VJ¹Vijayalakshmi P³Nithya Quintoil¹Sundarachelvan Subramanian¹Shraddha Singh²Neha M Banakar²Deepan G¹Ravivarman S⁴

• ¹RIVER-CVA Rabies Diagnosis Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research, Puducherry, India
• ²KVAFSU-CVA Rabies Diagnostic Laboratory, WOAH Reference Laboratory for Rabies, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Veterinary College, (KVAFSU), Benguluru, India
• ³Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research, Kurumbapet, India
• ⁴Bark India charitable trust, Puducherry, India

Rabies is a fatal zoonotic disease transmitted primarily through dog bites. Monitoring bite incidence and reliable rabies diagnostic methods are is crucial for effective rabies control, especially in endemic regions. like Puducherry, India. So, the present study was conducted to estimate the burden of dog bite cases in humans and animals, and to confirm the presence of rabies using various diagnostic tests among dogs in Puducherry, India..A regional descriptive study was done with objectives to collect the Ddata on human and animal dog bite cases from 2020 to 2023 were analysed.and In 2023, 25 brain samples from dogs suspected of rabies were collected post-mortem using the foramen magnum method.Samples were tested using Lateral Flow Assay (LFA), Direct Fluorescent Antibody test (DFA), Direct Rapid Immuno-histochemistry Test (dRIT), and One-step RT-PCR. Sensitivity and specificity of these tests were compared using DFA as the gold standard to estimate the burden of rabies in stray dogs. Results: Dog bite cases in humans increased from 16,652 in 2020 to 20,063 in 2023, with December consistently reporting the highest average number of bites (1787.25 cases). Animal bite cases rose from 948 in 2022 to 1131 in 2023, affecting dogs (56.1%), goats (30.7%), cattle (14.3%), and cats (0.9%). Of the 25 dog brain samples tested, 19 (76%) were rabies positive. LFA, dRIT, and RT-PCR demonstrated 100% sensitivity and specificity compared to DFA. Rabies cases Commented [AN1]: The title was changed as suggested by the reviewer Commented [AN2]: Included the objective of the study Commented [AN3]: Included the type of study and also the objectives were nearly equal in females (52.6%) and males (47.4%), with 68.4% occurring in dogs under 3 years. The highest monthly cases were observed in May and October, with Reddiarpalayam and Lawspet being the most affected regions. Discussion and Conclusion:The study reveals a concerning rise in dog bite cases and confirms the utility of LFA, dRIT, and RT-PCR as reliable alternatives to DFA for rabies diagnosis. Enhanced surveillance, public awareness, and vaccination programs are essential to control rabies in Puducherry.