KARACHI: 2,000 dog-bite cases registered in 2002: NICH report
KARACHI, Dec 27: As many as 200 people were bitten by dogs in the year 2002 in 12 major incidents of ‘rabid dog bite,’ while over 2,000 cases were registered in major hospitals of Karachi, says a National Institute of Child Health (NICH) report.
The report revealed that about 10,000 people died of dog biting in Pakistan — majority of them were children. Implementation of legislation for pet dogs and killing wild dogs by the city governments is suggested as a solution to reduce the dangers.
“The national task force on dog biting this year declared old ARV 14 injections as insufficient for protection in cases of dog biting besides having a number of side effects and use of ARV was restricted to WHO recommendation,” the report added.
The report says: “New cellular vaccines are more effective and safe being used all over the world but people were unable to buy it due to high cost of HDCV. Due to high cost the health department was also unable to provide the vaccine in required quantity.”
“A breakthrough came in the treatment of rabies as now one vial can be used five times intradermaly instead of five intramuscular, cutting cost to Rs500,” the report added.
“Leishmaniasis, a parasitic infection spread in Dadu and Mehargarh after inoculation by the bite of an infected sand fly involving hundreds of patients. Many deaths were reported but no exact figure was available. The disease has never acquired the epidemic level in Pakistan. It is common in Middle Eastern countries, East Africa, India and China.”
The report said: “Leishmaniasis is a zoonosis with a variety of mammalian reservoirs including canines and rodents. There are three presentations of leishmaniasis (i) cutaneous (ii) muesal and (iii) viseral. A single leishmania specie can produce different clinical syndromes.”
“Its incubation period ranges from 10 days to 10 years and reactivation of previously asymptomatic infection could occur. Therefore, general screening of all affected population is essential and search for possible reservoir animal should be made. Blood donation from this population is strictly prohibited.”
“In May and June, viral myocarditis killed more than 300 children in Karachi mostly aged below five years. Coxsackie B viruses were isolated as killing bug. Failure to understand the mostly unknown disease by general practitioners and private practising paediatricians worsened the situation and disease acquired epidemic level,” says the report.
“The disease was mostly confused with asthma and pneumonia with congestive heart failure. Early referral to tertiary-care hospitals equipped with ventilators and paediatric intensive care units might have saved many lives.”
“A report from Lahore was equally shocking that one million bags of blood were transfused without screening for hepatitis C virus. Studies have shown a rise in hepatitis C almost crossing prevailing hepatitis B disease in Pakistan.”
“The reason was high cost of screening for hepatitis C and absence of blood safety control authority, which is evident from the fact that not a single blood bank is registered in Karachi.”
“Among blood related diseases, thalassaemia major has been the most common disease in Pakistan as 100,000 persons are suffering from it,” the report added.
“About Rs10 billion were spent to manage this disease which is more than three times the federal health budget. Thalassaemia caring centres are draining almost 10 per cent of charity funds in Pakistan”.
The report says: “Many statements appeared in the press regarding misappropriation of this huge charity funds. Irony is that despite huge amount spent not a single patient has been treated so far. Thalassaemia eradication council under the federal health minister is proposed many times but no action has been taken so far.” — PPI
