Rabies Scare in UP Village: Dog-Bitten Buffalo’s Milk Used in Funeral Food — 200 Take Vaccine

Uttar Pradesh: Around 200 residents of Piprauli in Uttar Pradesh were vaccinated against rabies as a precautionary measure after raita served at a funeral was suspected to have been made using milk from an infected buffalo.Residents of Piprauli, a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Budaun district, had attended a funeral on Tuesday, December 23, where they consumed raita, a condiment made with curd. A few days later, they learnt that the milk used in the preparation of the dish was sourced from a buffalo that had died after being bitten by a dog, PTI reported.The buffalo died on Friday, December 26. Chief Medical Officer Dr Rameshwar Mishra said on Sunday that authorities had been informed that a buffalo in Piprauli village had been bitten by a rabid

dog and its death was attributed to symptoms of rabies.

News of the “infected” raita triggered panic in the village as funeral attendees feared infection. Although the risk of infection was low, everyone was advised to receive a rabies vaccine as a precautionary measure.“Prevention is better than cure. Everyone who had any doubts was given the anti-rabies vaccine. Normally, there is no risk of rabies after boiling the milk, but vaccination was done to prevent any potential risk,” the CMO said.

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Nearly 200 residents rushed to the Ujhani Community Health Centre to avail themselves of the vaccination.Mishra added that all villagers who arrived at the Ujhani Community Health Centre for the anti-rabies injection were promptly attended to, and the primary health centre remained open for this purpose throughout Saturday and Sunday.Another precautionary measure adopted by authorities was monitoring the village to prevent the spread of rumours or panic following the incident.Dharmpal, a resident of Piprauli, told PTI that the buffalo had been bitten by a dog, after which it fell ill and later died. Fear of infection soon spread after villagers learnt that the raita had been made from milk from the same buffalo, prompting attendees to get vaccinated.According to the health department, no disease has spread in the village so far, and the situation remains completely normal.(Written with agency inputs.)