A cow dies, nearly 500 villagers get anti-rabies shots. What happened in this UP village?

Last week, devotees at a Navratri prayer gathering in a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur were served panchamrit made with cow’s milk. The next day, however, the animal died. A government veterinary doctor suspected it contracted rabies from a possible dog bite, triggering alarm among villagers.

Since then, nearly 500 people who consumed the offering have received anti-rabies vaccines as health officials moved to allay fears. On Octoober 20, 70 villagers travelled nearly 11 km to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Gola for their first dose of the vaccine.

The following day, the health department set up a vaccination camp in the village, Dadi Govindpur, where more than 450 people were vaccinated. “Teams from the district headquarters and Lucknow arrived to assess the situation and reassure residents, many of whom are gripped by panic,” said Dr Amrendra Thakur, medical superintendent of the CHC in Gola.

He added that the village camp was organised on the directions of the Gorakhpur chief medical officer. The second dose is scheduled to be administered a week later. The cow had been unwell for nearly a month and was being treated by a private veterinarian, who had assured its owner, Naumi Yadav, that it would recover, said local resident Pawan Singh.

When the animal’s condition worsened on October 19, a government veterinary doctor was called in. The doctor suspected rabies based on the cow’s behaviour, Singh said. It died the next day. Dheeraj Yadav, son of village pradhan Asha Devi, said the doctor’s suspicion triggered panic among villagers.

Locals also said the stray dog that may have bitten the cow was untraceable, adding to the anxiety. Rajeev Yadav, another local resident, said the same milk had also been used to prepare tea sold at a stall during a village fair after the prayers.

As news spread, concern reached Sidhari, Gangwal and Rarwapar, whose residents had also attended the fair. “People were particularly worried because the milk had been used without being boiled, raising fears among those who had consumed the offering,” said Pawan Singh.

Rabies is primarily transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, usually through a bite or scratch, and is not transmitted through food, doctors said. Doctors said pasteurisation/boiling effectively kills the virus, making it safe.

Consuming milk (raw) or meat from animals showing rabies signs is discouraged due to potential risks from other pathogens, even if rabies isn’t confirmed in milk.