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An assessment of rabies free status of the Island of Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep: Results of the WHO sponsored national multicentric rabies survey
MK Sudarshan1, BJ Mahendra2, SN Madhusudana3, SA Rahman4, DH Ashwathnarayana5
1 Profesor and Head, Chief Investigator, WHO-APCRI, National Multicentric Rabies Survey, Bangalore, India
2 Associate Professor,Department of Community Medicine, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore, India
3 Additional Professor, National Institute of Mental Health & Neuroscience, Bangalore, India
4 Retired Dean, Bangalore Veterinary College and Secretary, Commonwealth Veterinary Association, Bangalore, India
5 Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore, India
Correspondence Address:
M K Sudarshan
Profesor and Head, Chief Investigator, WHO-APCRI, National Multicentric Rabies Survey, Bangalore
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
PMID: 17193752 
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The Islands of Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep have been reported to be rabies free from time immemorial. Recently, a survey of the islands of Andaman and Nicobar & Lakshadweep was done between July and August 2003 to assess their rabies free status. It was revealed that these islands continue to remain rabies free. However, in Andamans the increasing dog population, poor vigil on import of dogs and lack of laboratory surveillance for rabies posed a threat to this status. The Lakshadweep islands, which are free of dogs, however, faced a threat from the lack of vigil on the entry and presence of cats and poor surveillance for rabies in them. |
