Decline in hydrophobia cases

Uditha Kumarasinghe and Irangika Range

Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told Parliament yesterday that over one million hydrophobia (rabies) cases have been reported during the past four years and 235 patients had died from the disease.

The Minister said 380,662 patients had been reported in 2005, 351,092 in 2006, 274,000 in 2007 and 176,000 in 2008. According to the Minister 58 patients had died in 2005, 73 in 2006, 56 in 2007 and 51 patients in 2008.

The Government had spent Rs. 305 million in 2005, Rs. 204 million in 2006, Rs. 194 million in 2007 and Rs. 283 million in 2008 to eradicate this disease, he said.

The Government had imported 344,555 rabies vaccines to treat patients in 2008. There is a decrease of the vaccines imported in 2008 compared with 485,225 vaccines imported in 2007, the Minister added.