Rabies caused by stray dog bites has claimed 47 lives in Kerala in the last four years between January 2020 and January 2024, revealed a response by the office of the State health director to a Right to Information (RTI) application.
This was in addition to 22 more lives ‘probably’ lost to rabies, according to the response received by RTI activist Raju Vazhakkala.
The highest number of 10 ‘confirmed rabies deaths’ was reported from Kollam district, followed by 9 in Thiruvananthapuram.
Five lives each were lost in Thrissur and Kannur, four in Kozhikode, three each in Ernakulam and Palakkad, two each in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, and Wayanad, and one each in Malappuram and Kasaragod districts during the period.
Among the ‘probable rabies deaths,’ seven were reported from Alappuzha, three each in Thrissur and Palakkad, two each in Kottayam and Malappuram and one each in Idukki and Kozhikode districts.
“At a time when human-wildlife conflict has become a major discussion point, a serious public health issue caused by stray dogs has gone largely under the radar. Loss of 69 lives, including 22 probable deaths due to rabies, in four years is a significant number and the issue needs attention,” said Mr. Vazhakkala.
While 15 deaths each were confirmed due to rabies in 2022 and 2023, 11 lives were lost in 2021, five in 2020 and one in the first month of 2024 alone. Among the 22 probable deaths caused by rabies, 12 occurred in 2022 and 10 in 2023.
The number of people who have sought treatment across the State for stray dog bites has also progressively gone up in the last four years. While 1.6 lakh people sought treatment in 2020, it rose to 2.21 lakh in 2021, 2.88 lakh in 2022 and 3.06 lakh in 2023. In the first month of 2024 alone, 26,060 people sought treatment for stray dog bite.
Thiruvananthapuram led the list with 1.46 lakh people seeking treatment over the last four years, followed by Palakkad with 1.14 lakh and Kollam with 1.11 lakh.
Families of not all victims of rabies receive financial assistance by the Central or State governments. However, death and damage caused by stray dog bites are being compensated by the Supreme Court-appointed Justice S. Siri Jagan Committee through the local bodies concerned. There is no specific sum but the compensation is assessed based on the extent of damage and circumstances.
