Karnataka sees over 66,400 dog bite cases, eight rabies deaths in two months this year
Bengaluru: In the first two months of this year, Karnataka has reported nearly 66,489 dog bite cases and eight deaths due to rabies.
According to the Health Department, three deaths occurred at the Epidemic Diseases Hospital near the Swami Vivekananda Road Metro Station, a designated isolation center for suspected rabies cases, in Bengaluru, as reported by Deccan Herald on Monday. The victims included a 38-year-old native of Haryana, a 36-year-old man from Chitradurga, and a 26-year-old from Tumakuru. The fourth death in Bengaluru was that of a four-year-old boy, who passed away at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (IGICH) on January 5.
Additionally, two deaths were reported in Belagavi, and one each in Ballari and Shivamogga due to dog-mediated rabies.
As of February 23, 2025, the Health Department, as cited by DH, recorded nearly 66,489 dog bite cases across the state. The highest number of incidents were in Vijayapura (4,552 cases), Bengaluru's BBMP limits (4,072 cases), and Hassan (3,688 cases).
Dr Ansar Ahmed, Project Director of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, attributed the rise in cases to enhanced surveillance and more comprehensive reporting across districts.
“Dog bites are notifiable, hence we have ensured both private and government hospitals notify every single dog bite case. Additionally, all dog bite cases are not rabies cases. However, it is important for every wound to be immediately washed with sterile water and soap to reduce chances of complications,” Ahmed was quoted as saying by DH.
A senior official from the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services department emphasised the need for better animal vaccination programs and increased public awareness. He told the news outlet that rabies transmission is not confined to street dogs, and that activities in forested areas, where contact with monkeys, bats, and other animals increase the risk of bites or scratches, also contribute to the spread of rabies.
He highlighted the importance of educating the public about what actions to take after animal bites or scratches to avoid delays in accessing the rabies vaccine. He urged local bodies and the Health Department to collaborate more effectively to address this growing concern.
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Screenwriter Salim Khan on ventilator support and stable, say doctors
Mumbai (PTI): Veteran screenwriter Salim Khan suffered a brain haemorrhage which has been tackled, is on ventilator support as a safeguard and stable, doctors treating him said on Wednesday, a day after he was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital here.
The 90-year-old, one half of the celebrated Salim-Javed duo which scripted films such as "Sholay", "Deewar" and "Don" with Javed Akhtar, is in the ICU and recovery might take some time given his age.
"His blood pressure was high for which we treated him and we had to put him on a ventilator because we wanted to do certain investigations. Now the ventilator was put as a safeguard so that his situation doesn't get worse. So it is not that he is critical," Dr Jalil Parkar told reporters.
"We did the investigations that were required and today we have done a small procedure on him, I will not go into the details. The procedure done is called DSA (digital subtraction angiography). The procedure has been accomplished, he is fine and stable and shifted back to ICU. By tomorrow, we hope to get him off the ventilator. All in all, he is doing quite well," he added.
Asked whether he suffered a brain haemorrhage, the doctor said, "Unko thoda haemorrhage hua tha, which we’ve tackled. No surgery is required.
As concern over Khan's health mounted, his children, including superstar Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan, daughter Alvira, and sons-in-law Atul Agnihotri and Aayush Sharma, have been seen outside the hospital along with other well-wishers. His long-time partner Akhtar was also seen coming out of the hospital.
Khan, a household name in the 70s and 80s, turned 90 on November 24 last year. It was the day Dharmendra, the star of many of his films, including "Sholay", "Seeta aur Geeta" and "Yaadon Ki Baraat", passed away.
Hailing from an affluent family in Indore, Khan arrived in Mumbai in his 20s with dreams of stardom. He was good looking and confident he would make a mark in the industry as an actor. But that did not happen. And then, after struggling for close to a decade and getting confined to small roles in films, he changed lanes.
He worked as an assistant to Abrar Alvi and soon met Akhtar to form one of Hindi cinema's most formidable writing partnerships. They worked together on two dozen movies with most of them achieving blockbuster status.
Other than "Sholay", "Deewar" and "Don", Khan and Akhtar also penned "Trishul", "Zanjeer", "Seeta Aur Geeta", "Haathi Mere Saathi", "Yaadon Ki Baarat" and "Mr India".
