Funeral feast sparks rabies alert in Budaun, health officials vaccinate villagers

Nearly 200 residents of Piprauli village in Uttar Pradesh’s Budaun were given anti-rabies vaccines after learning that raita consumed at a funeral was prepared using milk from a buffalo that later died of suspected rabies

Budaun (UP): Nearly 200 residents of Piprauli village in Uttar Pradesh’s Budaun got rabies vaccination as a precautionary measure after they discovered that the raita (a curd-based dish) they consumed at the funeral was made from the milk of a buffalo that died after being bitten by a dog.

According to the villagers, a funeral ceremony was held in the village on December 23, where they had raita. Later, it came to light that the buffalo whose milk was used to make the dish had been bitten by a dog a few days earlier.

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The buffalo died on December 26, after which panic spread in the village due to the fear of infection.

The villagers reached the Ujhani community health centre and got vaccinated.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Rameshwar Mishra on Sunday said that they had received information that a buffalo in the village had been bitten by a rabid dog and had died due to symptoms of rabies.

It was reported that the villagers had consumed ‘infected’ raaita. As a precaution, everyone was advised to get a rabies injection.

“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 the vaccination was done to prevent any potential risk,” Mishra said.

According to the health department, no disease has spread in the village so far, and the situation is completely normal.

The CMO also said that anyone who came to get the anti-rabies injection was immediately given the injection at the Ujhani Community Health Centre. For this purpose, the primary health centre/community centre was kept open on both Saturday and Sunday.

He said that the village is being monitored as a precaution to prevent the spread of any kind of rumours or panic.

Another villager Dharmpal said that the buffalo was bitten by a dog, due to which it fell ill and later died. The fear of infection arose because the ‘raaita’ was made from the milk of that same buffalo, so they got the rabies injection.