Ensure round-the-clock availability of ARV, ASV, DPH tells health officers
: Noting that animal bites continue to be a significant public health problem, the Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine has issued instructions to District and City Health Officers to ensure the round-the-clock availability of anti rabies vaccine (ARV) and anti snake venom (ASV) at all Primary Health Centres (PHC) and Community Health Centres (CHC).
The DPH has said that there were 4,41,804 cases of dog bites and 18 deaths due to rabies in 2023, and 2,42,782 such cases and 22 deaths up to June 2024 in Tamil Nadu. As for snake bites, 19,795 cases were recorded in 2023, and 7,310 up to June 2024.
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As part of the measures undertaken to prevent deaths due to rabies, T.S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health, said that at least 20 vials of ARV stock should be maintained and administered at any point of time without hesitancy over the wastage of doses.
Similarly, a stock of at least 10 vials of ASV should be maintained. It should be administered for all cases of snake bites reported at PHC/CHCs before referring the patients to tertiary care . There is no need for a test dose before administering ASV, he said in the circular.
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