2 min readSrinagarMay 15, 2026 05:40 AM IST
A quiet Wednesday morning quickly turned into panic and confusion in a south Kashmir village after word spread that a butcher had allegedly sold the meat of an animal that was bitten by a dog.
While police registered a case, health officials rushed to launch an emergency vaccination drive against rabies. By Thursday afternoon, as many as 108 people from the village had already received the vaccine.
The incident took place at Parigam village in Pulwama. Villagers said that the butcher allegedly sold the “contaminated meat” on Tuesday.
Alerted by the panic, health officials did not want to leave anything to chance. They soon made announcements from mosques asking people to report to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in the village for vaccination.
“On Wednesday, we vaccinated 75 people,” said Dr Jureeda Qayoom, Medical Officer at PHC Parigam. “By Thursday afternoon, the total number of vaccinations has reached 108.” With the sheer number of people showing up for vaccination, the PHC had to designate a specific area just for this purpose.
Dr Qayoom asked people not to panic, saying that if the meat is cooked before consumption, it is unlikely that those who consume it will get infected. However, the medical officer also asked villagers to watch for symptoms like excessive salivation, behavioural changes, or nausea.
“We generally cook meat, and there are little chances of transmission,” she said, adding, “However, during the washing, if someone has an injury or abrasion, there are chances of transmission.”
Story continues below this ad
A villager who had reached the PHC to vaccinate himself and his family said he had bought meat on Sunday. “We had it at our home. Though the incident came to light later, I didn’t want to leave anything to chance. So I vaccinated myself and my family,” he said.
Police have registered a case at Pulwama police station under the section dealing with offences or malicious acts likely to spread dangerous and life-threatening diseases. An assistant sub-inspector has been tasked with investigating the case.
