The conventional rabies control methods like killing the infected animals and vaccination of pets have proven insufficient to contain the outbreak.
New Delhi: Have you ever thought why would a country scatter thousands of chicken heads across its forests? While it may sound like a plot twist from a crime thriller, this unusual approach was actually a carefully crafted and innovative strategy devised by Switzerland to address a public health crisis.
Switzerland, during the 1970s, witnessed a major spike in rabies cases spread by red foxes. During the time, the Swiss authorities devised a novel plan to combat the disease. By air-dropping chicken heads injected with a weakened rabies vaccine, they planned to vaccinate the fox population in mass numbers, curbing the epidemic and protecting both wildlife and human populations.
What is rabies?
Rabies is a fatal virus that affects the central nervous system of mammals, including man. The virus of Rabies usually transferred through the saliva of infected animals, transmitting the virus through biting or scratching.
Prevention of Rabies:
The prevention of this disease is by vaccination. During the Swiss rabies outbreak, red foxes were identified as the main vectors of incursions in domestic animals as well as humans. The conventional rabies control methods like killing the infected animals and vaccination of pets have proven insufficient to contain the outbreak.
Swiss authorities devised a unique strategy to combat rabies by air-dropping chicken heads into forests. Chosen for their strong scent and appeal to foxes, these chicken heads were infused with an oral rabies vaccine. When foxes consumed the bait, they ingested the vaccine, building immunity to the virus. This innovative method enabled large-scale vaccination of foxes without requiring direct human involvement.