Peshawar:A rabid dog spread wave of panic and fear in the suburban localities of Peshawar on Kohat road by attacking dozens of people including children and elderly persons.
Most of the victims of a black color rabid dog were mauled on upper portion of the neck including head and face, informed Rehman Mirza Khel, a teacher from Adizai village on Kohat road.
Talking to reporter, Rehman said a few days earlier he took his ailing son to a doctor at Mattani area. Upon reaching Mattani, Rehman said he heard announcements from loudspeakers of mosques cautioning people that a rabid dog has arrived in the area and attacking passer-bys.
People were asked to take precautionary measures by getting inside, taking children indoor and closing the doors of houses.
‘Panicked over the announcements, I took back my ailing son to home without consultation by doctor,’ Rehman recalled.
A few days later, Rehman added, he heard people sharing news about biting of a fellow villager by a rabid dog.
My own uncle, Gul Wali, was a
ttacked by the dog on his hand, cutting off his finger, Rehman informed.
The dog unleased fear in localities including Adizai, Koh-e-Daman, Darazai, Pasni Parhat Baba and all the victims were attacked by black color dog.
The fear was so sever that people stopped sending their children to school for protecting them from dog attack.
Rehman said in retaliation to attack, people started killing black dogs in the area and about 15 to 16 dogs were killed, but bites continued.
He said targeting of head and face raised apprehensions that it might be some wild animal not a stray dog.
Rehman also raised the issue in a Whatsapp group titled as `Wildlife of Pakistan’ to get expert opinion about nature of the animal.
While examining pictures of dog victims, Dr Sundas Zahid, a PhD scholar in Zoology opined that the wounds are not looking because of animal attack.
‘These bruises does not look as animal attack and giving the impression that these are clear cut wound which may by because of human conflict, Dr Sundas ob
served.
However, Rehman said in a recent incident of attack on a dweller of an Afghan refugees camp, a black dog by killed by people and now no report is received of a new attack.
He also informed that due to large number of dog bite victims, the anti-rabies treatment was arranged by different hospitals including a health facility in Mattani, Lady Reading Hospital and Syed Medical Complex.
MNA of the area, Shandana Gulzar also arranged anti-bite injections for the victims at Hujra of her home in Badabair area.