KMC to sanitise Dhapa dog compound

KOLKATA: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to conduct disinfection and sanitisation of Dhapa dog compound to prevent canines from diseases arising out of ticks.

While ticks are parasites that attach themselves to animals and people, feed on blood, and transmit diseases directly into the host's system, the disease occurs when an infected tick bites a dog or a human.

According to KMC sources, around three hundred stray dogs can be sheltered at the Dhapa dog pound which also has three operation theatres. No such dogs have been affected by ticks as of now. Veterinary doctors have been appointed for taking care of the dogs.

It is learnt that dogs suffer from fever after ticks bite them. The dogs may die due to fever. The breeding of tick in the body of dogs takes place between January and April.

Kolkata Deputy Mayor Atin Ghosh, who is also Member Mayor in Council (Health), KMC, informed that KMC will also start sterilisation and vaccination drive of the street dogs at all the 144 wards of the civic body in April.The initiative has been taken to prevent proliferation of the dog population in the city and at the same time prevent rabies.According to the Animal Safety Wing of KMC Health Department, the number of stray dogs in the metropolis is more than one lakh.

On a daily basis, people of one or the other ward in Kolkata are bitten by dogs. Because of this the KMC regularly vaccinates dogs against rabies. Cases of rabies infection have been reported in stray dogs in ward number 115,116 and117.