Rabies is now a notifiable disease in India

Pashu Sandesh, 29 September 2021

The government of India has made Rabies a notifiable disease in India. In a letter dated 20 Sep 2021 to all the Principal Secretaries of the States and UTs the guidelines were issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, GOI to make Human Rabies a Notifiable Disease under Clinical Establishment Registration and Regulation Act 2010 or respective State Public Health Act or Nursing Home Act, so that it is mandatory for all Government and Private  Health facilities (including Medical Colleges) to report all suspected, probable and confirmed  Human Rabies Cases as per the guidelines formalised by the National Rabies Control Program.

As per the Ministry, diseases like Rabies are highly infectious and fatal and affect multiple sectors (domestic animals, wildlife conservation, public health, modern services and livestock economies), therefore important to make sure rabies doesn't spread. Notification will facilitate contact tracing and prompt prophylactic measures to prevent infection in other people exposed to the same source. It will also aid in prompt identification of the emerging rabies foci in animals and interventions to curtail the spread of the disease to other Animals and Humans. 

A suspected/ probable/ confirmed case should be notified via email to national nodal officer Rabies and District and State Nodal officer incomplete standard format to nrcp.ncdc@gmail.com and through IHIP Platform.

As per the WHO estimates, India is endemic for rabies accounting for 36% of the World’s deaths. The Deaths are grossly underreported in our country. The prevention, control and elimination of Rabies can only be achieved through strong surveillance and disease reporting system at all levels to guide appropriate public health measures and policy interventions. 

The responsibility of the Department of Animal Husbandry and other agencies is to identify the rabid animal with lab confirmation as fas possible along with isolation and removal of animal and other sick animals in the locality. Mass canine vaccination then should be carried out in the affected areas.