E-Paper
Punjab sees 47% jump in dog-bite cases in just 2 years, RTI reveals
The number of dog-bite cases stood at 582 in 2021, skyrocketed to 15,519 in 2022 and consistently went up over the years .
Punjab saw a 47% rise in dog-bite cases in two years – going from 15,519 in 2022 to 22,912 in 2024, an RTI filed by HT revealed.
The number of dog-bite cases stood at 582 in 2021, skyrocketed to 15,519 in 2022 and consistently went up over the years (see box).
With 4,682 cases in just two months, 2025 may surpass the figures of previous years. Of these, Jalandhar reported 1,333 cases.
The data was provided by the National Centre for Disease Control (Directorate General of Health Service) in response to the RTI.
According to the latest data from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme- Integrated Health Information Platform -- mentioned in the RTI -- Patiala had the highest number of dog bite cases in 2022 at 2,066 cases, followed by 3,300 in 2023 and 3,285 in 2024. Other districts with consistently high numbers of dog-bites include Sangrur with 4,813 cases, Moga with 4,359 cases, Jalandhar with 4,340 cases, and Muktsar Sahib with 3,869 between 2022 and 2024.
Notably, Punjab saw one dog-bite death – in Fazilka—in five years, data from Human Rabies Deaths report by Punjab revealed.
As per the information received through RTI from concerned authorities, the state government is actively addressing dog-bite concerns through the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) and the National Action Plan for Dog-Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030 (NAPRE). It was further stated that Punjab is drafting a state action plan for dog-mediated rabies elimination and 23 model anti-rabies clinics have been established in the state, with rabies-free city initiatives being undertaken in Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar.
Despite repeated attempts, principal health secretary Kumar Rahul couldn’t be reached for comments.
