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.
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.