The statistics has been released in the latest study published in Lancet Infectious Disease Journal that states three in every four animal bites are caused due to dogs leading an estimated 5,700 deaths per year. The study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) conducted a nationwide community-based survey from March, 2022 to August, 2023 including 60 districts of 15 states. Within these, over 3,37,808 individuals belonging to 78,800 households were interviewed about animal bites in the family, anti-rabies vaccination and deaths due to it.

The body constituted of researchers, including the ones from ICMR- National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai. It also found that three in every four animal bites was a dog bite. Among those surveyed, over 2,000 reported a history of animal bite – 1,576 were dog bites that accounts to 76.8%.

The authors of the journal said, “Further, over six per thousand people might be experiencing an animal bite, translating into 9.1 million bites nationally.”

They said, “We estimated 5,726 human rabies deaths occurring annually in India.”

According to the authors, the estimates can help understand whether the country is on track to meeting the global target of eliminating dog-mediated cases of rabies among humans by 2030. However, reliable and recent estimates of deaths in humans due to rabies are not available in India, where a third of global cases occur. While cases of rabies deaths have declined over the past two decades, India needs to fast-track its actions by adopting a focused one-health approach.

Further, the researchers also mentioned how the goal of eradicating rabies can be achieved. They said, “Integrating human and animal surveillance, ensuring timely administration of full course of post-exposure prophylaxis, and accelerating dog vaccination across the country are crucial steps towards this goal.”

The research team found out that out of the 1,576 people bitten by a dog, over a fifth did not receive an anti-rabies vaccination. A two-third of it, i.e. 1,043 received at least three doses. Moreover, a half of the 1,253 individuals who had received one dose hadn’t completed their full course of vaccination.

The World and the disease

Rabies is a viral disease preventable by vaccine. Known to be one of the oldest zoonosis for humans, Rabies can be fatal, deadly for human lives if not taken effective measures accordingly.  It occurs in more than 150 countries and territories of the world. A majority of human rabies deaths is caused by dogs, which contribute over 99% of all rabies transmissions among humans.

As cited in the ICMR report also, not seeking necessary healthcare after the dog bite is the reason for the deaths. This lack of awareness claims around 55,000 human lives every year, mostly in Asia and Africa continents. Notably, India is endemic to the disease. It accounts to 36% of the total rabies deaths in the world.   

The World Health Organization (WHO) along with its collaborators had launched a campaign “Zero by 30” in the year 2018. The National Rabies Control Program was also started by WHO for this cause, that continued for a decade from 2012 to 2022.  

All we can do is stay aware about the animal bites, rabies is 100% preventable and won’t lead to any deaths. The needful is to ensure the necessary medical aid to the victim. Along with this, vaccination of dogs can be the most effective strategy to prevent rabies among people. At the same time, it will be cost-effective too, serving the necessary precaution before the danger.  

The efforts have to be actively strengthened at the local level, where the municipalities take the effective measures with all the resources and funding required. The milestone of eliminating rabies by 2030 is far, but not impossible to achieve. But it will need a lot of work to do…for governments as well as the citizens. Every once in a while, there is a surge in cases, that has to be countered. Especially among the children who fall victim to it easily. With time, India can be rabies free, the disease can be 100% preventable, instead of 100% fatal.