Dog attack cases spiral in Karnataka, local authorities lack bite say people

Karnataka has reported 2.81 lakh dog bite cases in the first seven months of this year, a 37% increase over the same period last year. 

As many as 26 people have died due to rabid dog bites so far this year.

According to data from the health department, this sharp increase is significant compared to 2024, which saw 3.6 lakh dog bite cases and 42 rabies deaths, of which 1.69 lakh cases and 28 deaths were recorded between January and July.

Vijayapura district tops the list with 15,527 cases, followed by: BBMP (Bengaluru) – 13,821, Hassan – 13,388, Dakshina Kannada – 12,524 and Bagalkot – 12,392.

Dharwad, Belagavi, Uttara Kannada and Gadag districts recorded around 7,000 cases each.

Bengaluru Urban accounted for nine rabies deaths, followed by two each in Bagalkot and Belagavi, and one each in Ballari, Chikkaballapur and Shivamogga.

Only three districts, Yadgir, Chamarajanagar and Kodagu, reported relatively lower numbers, each with around 1,500 cases.

Dr S Shrinivas from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme said human rabies had been declared a notifiable disease under the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act, 2020.

This mandates all government and private healthcare facilities to report suspected, probable and confirmed human rabies cases.

The department has ensured the availability of anti-rabies vaccine vials at all government health facilities, including taluk hospitals and primary health centres and confirmed no shortage of vaccines anywhere in the state, Shrinivas said.

Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) officials say that not only stray dogs, but even pet dogs have attacked people.

In one such incident, a young man collecting a food parcel was attacked by pet dogs in an upscale Hubballi locality. He suffered multiple injuries and his father later lodged a complaint against the pet owners at Bendigeri police station.

An HDMC officer said street food vendors and residents discarding leftovers on roads and drains had been attracting stray dogs, particularly in market areas, contributing to the surge
in bites.

Manjunath Kavali, a concerned citizen in Hubballi, criticised local authorities for their failure in addressing the issue. He said, “Sterilisation and vaccination drives have been ineffective. In many areas, children, women and the elderly are afraid to step out of their homes”. Similar sentiments were echoed in other cities as well.

During a recent review meeting of Belagavi division, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao instructed deputy commissioners to form joint task forces comprising officials from health, animal husbandry departments and local bodies to work together to resolve the issue.

“The government is implementing multiple strategies to tackle the problem,” the minister said.

These include awareness campaigns, special training for doctors in treating dog bite victims and strict directives to urban and rural local bodies to effectively control stray dog population.