According to the BBMP’s ARV report, 50,055 dogs have been injected in the city.
Credit: DH photo
Bengaluru: In the last six months, 13,831 dog bites have been reported in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) jurisdiction. The month of May saw the highest number of dog bites, with 2,562 cases, while February recorded the lowest, with 1,883 cases.
Karnataka saw a significant increase of 36 per cent in dog bites in the first half of this year compared to the first half of 2024.
The state requires about 38,000 to 40,000 rabies vaccines every month, and every government hospital is mandated to treat people who are bitten for free and provide vaccines, a senior official of the health department told DH.
However, despite the civic body’s awareness programmes, the number of bites recorded is alarming. Speaking to DH, BBMP’s Special Health Commissioner, Suralkar Vikas Kishore, said, “We are looking at holistic approaches and are trying to break the pack mentality of the dogs. We are coming up with the ‘One Dog One House’ initiative for people to take care of stray dogs.”
“The Supreme Court’s ruling has slowed down our initiatives,” added Kishore.
According to the BBMP’s Annual Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) report, 50,055 dogs have been injected in the city, while the dog population, according to the BBMP’s census, is 2.7 lakh.
The vaccines are well stocked and are available in private hospitals. Each injection is priced between Rs 300 and Rs 400. Depending on the severity of the bite, the victim is given between three and eight injections, and in more severe cases an immunoglobulin injection is provided, costing between Rs 3,000 and Rs 6,000.