200 vaccinated in UP over rabies-infected buffalo milk scare

Budaun: Nearly 200 residents of Piprauli village in Uttar Pradesh received precautionary rabies vaccinations after discovering they had consumed a curd-based dish made from the milk of an infected buffalo.

The health scare began following a funeral feast on Dec. 23, where raita was served to the community. Villagers later learned that the buffalo used to supply the milk had been bitten by a dog several days prior. The animal died on Dec. 26 after exhibiting symptoms consistent with rabies, sparking a wave of concern among those who had attended the ceremony.

"Prevention is better than cure," said Chief Medical Officer Dr Rameshwar Mishra on Sunday. "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."

Panicked residents gathered at the Ujhani Community Health Centre to receive the shots. To accommodate the high volume of people, health officials kept the facility open throughout the weekend.

While rabies is nearly 100% fatal once symptoms appear, health experts noted that the virus is typically inactivated by the high temperatures used in boiling or pasteurisation. However, local authorities authorised the mass vaccination drive to eliminate any theoretical risk and to manage public anxiety.

"The fear of infection arose because the 'raaita' was made from the milk of that same buffalo, so they got the rabies injection," said Dharmpal, a local villager.

Medical officials confirmed that the village is currently under monitoring, though no cases of the disease have been reported among the residents, and the situation is described as stable.

With inputs from PTI