Rabies studies in Rajasthan

In Kota city of Rajasthan, visiting the celebrated gardens now carries the risk of encountering packs of dogs. 

There was a rabies vaccination camp in Sirohi by an NGO where people got their dogs for vaccinations. 

A study in 2018 at an anti-rabies clinic in Jaipur on patients' information on rabies showed that over a fifth had good knowledge, another fifth had poor knowledge and the rest had 'fair' knowledge about rabies. But this cannnot be generalized to the general population of Rajasthan I feel, because :

• Residents of urban areas have access to greater knowledge than in rural settings. 
• Residents of big cities like Jaipur will be even more aware. 
• The patient has been bitten by animals so would have received counsel from family and friends already. 
• They had had the good sense or guidance to come to a specialized anti-rabies clinic rather than go to any doctor - so that shows a very heightened level of awareness. 

For these reasons, I feel that particularly in rural areas and among poor people in slums, the knowledge on rabies will be much lower than in this study. 

Even here with comparatively higher levels of awareness, just half the patients knew the name of the disease caused by a rabid animal. Only 40 % knew that bite from other animals (cat, monkey etc.) can also cause rabies. Over a third knew rabies is a communicable disease. Only a third knew that fear of water was one of the symptoms when rabies manifested in the patient. Only 25 % knew that once manifested, rabies isnt curable. Sadly, only 8 % knew that rabies can be transmitted via the saliva of an infected individual, dog or human. 

The good thing was, that more than 90 % of the patients knew that bite from a rabid dog caused disease. More than 80 % knew rabies could be prevented by vaccination. Over two-thirds knew that rabies was fatal. And nearly 60 %  knew that the site of the bite should be washed with soap and water.

Another study in Jodhpur stated : Dogs have to be immunised annually to maintain their immunisation status against rabies. This concept was not known to the residents it was the first time they were told about the same.

The supply of Ketamine Hydrochloride (an anesthetic agent) used for animal sterilization at veterinary clinics is inconsistent. Thus, Animal Birth Control activities are often interrupted.