Classes suspended over rabid dog scare

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Classes of College of Engineering (CET) were cancelled on Monday after stray dogs on the college campus were bitten by a dog suspected to be infected with rabid.
According to the college authorities, they came to know about the incident on Sunday evening and considering the safety of students and staff, classes were suspended for a day.
Meanwhile, online classes and examinations scheduled on the day were conducted.
The city corporation deployed a team to the campus and they caught six dogs.
Three dogs were vaccinated. One of the dogs, which was found to have sustained bite wounds, is being monitored for rabies symptoms.
At present, no dog has shown symptoms of rabies, the health officials said.
Over 2,000 dogs have been vaccinated in the city in the last four months, the officials said.
The corporation had initiated the phase-II vaccination of stray dogs in the city corporation in September. Four teams were formed to cover 100 wards as part of the vaccination drive till November 1, 2022. The officials said that vaccination is being done routinely at Sreekaryam and Chavadimukku where the CET is located.
There are concerns about stray dogs roaming around the campus and corporation officials said that it would be addressed soon.
Around 800 dogs have been sterilized by the city corporation in 2022.
The sterilization rate has been affected mainly by the closure of the facility at Vandithadom.