Gourab Basak1, M. Bindu Pushpa1 and Boddupalli Ayesha2
1Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology 2Department of Veterinary Anatomy
Institute of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry
Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (Deemed to be University) Bhubaneswar 751030, Odisha
Rabies is one of the world’s deadliest and oldest known zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases are those which are naturally transmitted between vertebrate animals and humans. Rabies is such a dangerous disease that once it shows symptoms, it is already too late and death is inevitable. Rabies is a fatal, vaccine-preventable viral disease, caused by Lyssa virus of Rabdoviridae family, affecting over 150 countries, primarily in Asia and Africa, causing thousands of deaths annually which are mostly from dog bites. In fact, 99% of human transmissions are from dog bites and once clinical symptoms appear, the disease is virtually 100% fatal, making timely intervention critical.
Prevention is crucial that includes mass vaccination of dogs, which is the most cost-effective strategy to control and eliminate canine rabies, and seeking immediate medical care, like wound cleansing and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) after a potential exposure (if exposed to a potential rabid animal, prompt medical care is essential).
Rabies is a major public health issue, causing an estimated 59,000 deaths worldwide each year, with the highest burden in Asia and Africa. The virus spreads to people and animals through bites or scratches, typically from the saliva of an infected animal. Approximately 40% of human rabies deaths occur in children under 15 years of age. Reports imply the more number of children death from rabies in India than any other nation.
Owners should vaccinate their pets and keep them away from wildlife. On exposure of dog bite, immediate cleaning of the wound and seeking medical attention for PEP, can aid in preventing the disease from developing. Hydrophobia, a historical synonym for rabies, refers to the later stage symptoms where the patient has difficulty swallowing and experiences spasms when trying to drink.
Rabies deaths are massively under reported and systemically ignored, affecting the most disadvantaged, the most vulnerable and the most isolated of society. The vicious zoonotic disease can infect and kill any mammal. Dogs are one of the animals most prone to rabies. They serve as a reservoir for the disease and serve as the main source of transmission to humans.
Lack of knowledge is a key reason why people and most often children, die from rabies. Without knowing how to behave around dogs, how to avoid getting bitten or scratched or the crucial steps to take for life-saving treatment, they are constantly at risk. The human rabies vaccine, though is available but often inaccessible either due to distance or cost and it only protects one person at a time on administration. But at the same time, it plays a vital part in the elimination of death from rabies.
India is endemic for rabies, and accounts for 36% of the world’s rabies deaths. True burden of rabies in India is not fully known; although as per available information, it causes 18 000-20 000 deaths every year. Though a complete national tally for all of 2025 is not available yet, but reports as of July 2025, over 2.6 million dog bite cases were reported nationwide leading to a significant number of rabies deaths across the country.
Several states have reported significant increases in cases, highlighting a public health concern that the government is attempting to address through enhanced medical college training and public awareness campaigns. Karnataka reported a 36.2% increase in dog bites and a growing number of rabies deaths compared to the same period in 2024.
Recent news focuses on increased rabies deaths in India, with 180 reported in 2024 from 22 in 2022, despite a drop in reported presumptive cases. The increased tally also lies with the significant vaccination efforts in cities like Mumbai and Nagpur. In fact, cities across India are initiating large-scale vaccination campaigns.
Nagpur has launched a month-long anti-rabies vaccination campaign in early September 2025, with the goal to vaccinate over 20,000 stray dogs by September 28; in order to combat rising dog-bite incidents. Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) in collaboration with international non-profit Mission Rabies and Worldwide Veterinary Services (WVS) has deployed the city-wide drive involving veterinary teams, dog-catching squads, and community volunteers to reach dogs across the city’s ten zones by the stipulated time. The drive consists a joint effort with the local organization Nirmiti Peoples and Animal Welfare Society (NPAWS) also.
The drive also includes sterilization efforts at Animal Birth Control (ABC) centers, with thousands of dogs already sterilized and vaccinated in early September. The initiative aligns with Supreme Court directives that mandate sterilization and vaccination measures to address the stray dog population. The NGOs aim to avoid using catching nets to prevent traumatizing the animals.
Pune has also extended hand in the same by implementing a mass vaccination drive for stray dogs. To curb rabies and eliminate dog-mediated human rabies by 2030, as per the Union government’s directives. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) spearheads these efforts, with support from animal welfare NGOs like Saahas for Animals in the city.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai launched a major rabies vaccination drive in 2024. BMC’s mass anti-rabies vaccination of stray dogs in Mumbai aimed to vaccinate approximately 70% of the dogs in the city by the end of March 2024. As per reports of The Hindu, published on 18 February, 2024, around 25,000 stray dogs were vaccinated in Mumbai already.
A notable campaign of free mass dog vaccination was launched at Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya from March 11-18, 2024 due to a significant increase in dog bite cases in East Khasi Hills, with bites doubling in the previous year. Free vaccination was offered for both pet dogs and street dogs in the Greater Shillong area to combat rising rabies cases and achieve the National goal of rabies elimination by 2030.
Various community centers and halls served as vaccination sites, including Mawlai Nongkwar, Nongmynsong, Lawsohtun, Madanrting, Laitumkhrah, and Umpling. The state government is actively implementing its State Action Plan for Dog-Mediated Rabies Elimination, which prioritizes mass vaccination through collaboration between health and animal husbandry departments, local administrations, and community efforts.
Delhi is developing a state action plan and launching a large-scale comprehensive action plan for stray dog management, including microchipping one million stray dogs over two years and digitizing vaccination records to strengthen rabies control; implementing a city-wide dog census, and mandating pet shop registration. The rising dog bite incidents have led to public outrage and calls for better stray dog management and increased awareness about prompt treatment after a bite.
Delhi is collaborating with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to implement the microchipping program. The overall goal is to improve public safety by reducing dog bite incidents and rabies cases, while also enhancing animal welfare in the city.
The government of Odisha has declared human rabies a notifiable disease in 16 September 2023, making it mandatory for all healthcare facilities to report all suspected, probable and confirmed cases and deaths to the integrated disease surveillance programme (IDSP) portal to track and plan for rabies elimination. This move was enacted under the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897. This action was aligned with National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) to eliminate human deaths from rabies by 2030 and was in alignment with recommendations from the Union Health Ministry.
Henceforth, rabies deaths in human are 100% preventable through prompt and appropriate medical care. Vaccinating dogs is the most cost-effective strategy for preventing rabies in people. Health authorities are continuing awareness drives on timely treatment, vaccination and responsible pet ownership to curb the spread of rabies. As always, prevention is better than cure, government is also working on strategies to eliminate human rabies deaths by 2030 in India.