A team of veterinary experts has been deployed to Phalgunanda Rural Municipality in eastern Nepal’s Panchthar district after a rabies outbreak killed more than 40 livestock and other domestic animals.

The veterinary team has visited affected settlements, conducted field assessments and sample testing, and held discussions with farmers, health workers and local elected representatives.

The team, which arrived in Phalgunanda on Friday, is led by Dr Raghabendra Tiwari, chief of the Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Service Expert Centre in Ilam. Other members include veterinarian Purushottam Pandey of the Directorate of Livestock and Fisheries Development; Dr Sarilal Chaudhary of the Veterinary Laboratory in Biratnagar; Dr Roshan Dahal of the Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Service Expert Centre in Taplejung; and Niroj Kumar Bhattarai, acting chief of the Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Service Expert Centre in Panchthar.

The team visited wards 5 and 6 of Phalgunanda Rural Municipality to assess the affected areas and speak with farmers, local representatives and residents. It also conducted preliminary examinations of recently dead animals at farmers’ sheds and livestock enclosures, Bhattarai said.

Rabies has already been confirmed in animals examined by the team, as well as in livestock and dogs that had died earlier. Based on its assessment, the team concluded that all domestic animals in the affected areas should be vaccinated against rabies.

Tiwari said the Directorate of Livestock and Fisheries Development has already supplied 2,000 doses of anti-rabies vaccine for Panchthar district. Vaccination has begun in the affected areas, he said.

The team is scheduled to conduct a field assessment in and around Phidim, the district headquarters, on Saturday and hold discussions with relevant stakeholders.

The risk of rabies has also increased in Phidim Municipality. A single infected dog bit 55 other dogs, three people and several domestic animals within an hour. Tests later confirmed that the dog had rabies.

Doctors say demand for anti-rabies vaccines has risen sharply after unusually large numbers of people and animals were bitten by dogs in Phalgunanda Rural Municipality and Phidim Municipality at around the same time.

Health authorities are also recommending anti-rabies vaccination as a precaution for farmers who handle or care for animals infected with the virus, not just people who have been bitten by dogs.