Karnataka has reported a worrying 36% increase in dog bite cases in the first six months of 2025, with 2.31 lakh incidents and 19 confirmed rabies deaths, according to data from the State Health Department under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).
For comparison, 1.69 lakh bites and 18 rabies deaths were recorded during the same period in 2024. Last year ended with 3.6 lakh bites and 42 fatalities. The recent surge has been amplified by public concern, especially after a viral video surfaced showing a three-year-old girl attacked by strays in Hubballi.
Principal Secretary Harsh Gupta stated that the rise is partly due to improved case reporting, not a deteriorating situation. He noted that awareness campaigns, enhanced medical responses, and local-level instructions to handle stray dog populations are ongoing. The state has also trained doctors and ensured sufficient anti-rabies medicine supplies.
Since human rabies became a notifiable disease in 2022 under the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act, both public and private hospitals must report suspected cases.
District-wise data shows Vijayapura leading with 15,527 cases, followed by BBMP limits (13,831), Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, and Bagalkot. While no rabies deaths occurred in BBMP or Bangalore Rural, Bangalore Urban reported 9 of the 19 deaths.
District authorities have been instructed to review every rabies fatality to identify delays in treatment, medical lapses, and animal response failures.