Nilgiris set to be declared rabies free zone

Ooty: Positive trends and factors facilitate the self declaration of Nilgiris as a rabies free zone, as the Pasteur Institute of India in Coonoor here, a premier anti-rabies vaccine production unit in the country, has set a target to produce more DTP vaccines using the latest technology from next year. Dr B.Sekar, director, PII-Coonoor, stated in a release that PII- Coonoor established in 1907, has been running a dispensary for treatment of animal bites and protection against rabies since the inception of the institute. In the past 10 years no human rabies case has been reported from the Nilgiris, and since 2008 no animal rabies. Taking this situation into consideration, the PII, Coonoor organized a workshop in August 2013 to form guidelines for taking forward the prevailing situation of rabies in Nilgiris to declare it rabies free.