Palakkad: A dog that bit a three-year-old boy in Attappadi's Sholayur has been diagnosed with rabies.

Akash, son of Manikandan and Parvathi, was bitten by a dog on the day of Thiruvonam at Swarnapirivu tribal colony. The dog was later found dead. Testing its sample, it was confirmed that the dog was indeed infected with rabies.

Akash was playing in the backyard when the incident happened. The dog bit him on the face. There are multiple wounds near the eye.

Akash was administered both serum and vaccine as the bite was a Category-3 wound.

Meanwhile, the state government has decided to organise a vaccination drive to curb the stray dog menace. Local Self-Government Minister M B Rajesh said a month-long vaccination programme will be implemented from September 20.

He said the state will deal with the issue just like it did with the Covid-19 pandemic. He also said more people will be trained to catch dogs.