For the past three days, panic-stricken residents of Pipraul village in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun have been lining up for rabies shots.
The reason? A buffalo, whose milk had been used to prepare a dish at a tehrai ceremony last Tuesday — and was consumed by hundreds — died a few days after purportedly being bitten by a stray dog.
According to local residents, the ceremony was held for a resident, Oran Sahu, who had passed away earlier, and was attended by several people from Pipraul village and neighbouring areas. Three days later, the buffalo belonging to the deceased’s cousin died. Locals alleged that the buffalo’s milk was used to prepare raita, one of the dishes served at the function.
Villagers decided to undertake the anti-rabies vaccination post an emergency meeting. (Express Photo)
Officials said a medical team has been deployed in the village to assess the situation and counsel residents. Villagers, however, held an emergency meeting and decided to take the anti-rabies vaccination.
“In the last two days, since December 26, more than 200 villagers have taken anti-rabies injections; the rest are in the process of getting vaccinated,” said Deepak Kumar, husband of village pradhan Renu Devi.
He also claimed residents have not been clearly informed that rabies cannot be transmitted through the consumption of milk from the animal.
The Pipraul Village, boasts a population of around 1,800 people. (Express Photo)
Kumar added that the stray dog which had bitten the buffalo remains untraceable, adding to the anxiety. The buffalo was also buried without a post-mortem examination being carried out, owing to which the cause of death couldn’t be ascertained.
Pipraul village, predominantly inhabited by members of the backward classes, has a population of around 1,800.
Dr Sarvesh Kumar, Superintendent of the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Ujhani, Badaun, said, “In the last two days, around 250 people from Pipraul village received doses of the anti-rabies vaccine at our centre. On Friday alone, 110 people were administered the injection.”
Dr Sarvesh Kumar, Superintendent of the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Ujhani, Badaun, urged villagers not to panic. (Express Photo)
He added that medical teams are continuously counselling villagers and urging them not to panic.
Dr Mahesh Pratap, medical officer at a primary health centre in Badaun, also said people, fearing possible exposure, are approaching health facilities and being administered anti-rabies vaccinations.
In a similar incident in November, several residents of a village in Gorakhpur also rushed to get anti-rabies shots after they had eaten puja prasad (chana amrit), made from the milk of a village cow that died ostensibly from a dog bite.