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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'Rear-guard action': BJP over Mamata accepting sports minister's resignation after Messi event
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Tuesday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's accepting Aroop Biswas' resignation as the state sports minister is nothing but a "rear-guard action" to douse public anger over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week.
BJP co-in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya alleged that this is also an "open confession" that the Messi event fiasco was not accidental but a government-manufactured disaster, borne out of the poor governance of Banerjee, her ministers and the state bureaucracy.
Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Biswas' resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling TMC said.
Biswas, who had written to the chief minister seeking to be relieved of his responsibilities as sports minister, will continue as a cabinet minister, retaining charge of the power department.
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Reacting to the development, Malviya said in a post on X, "TMC Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigns after the Messi fiasco and Mamata Banerjee accepts it in record time."
"Do not mistake this for accountability; this is nothing but a rear-guard action to douse public anger. anger! This is not 'Raj Dharma'," he added.
The BJP leader alleged that the incident was the outcome of "loot" of common people which is "so synonymous" with the TMC.
The incident was also the outcome of the "shameless VIP culture that TMC thrives on and deep-rooted cronyism promoted by Banerjee," he charged.
Malviya further alleged that Biswas' resignation exposes a "collective failure of Mamata Banerjee, her partisan bureaucracy, and her crony cabinet".
"This is a symbolic sacrifice, a political hoax, soon to be buried under layers of bureaucracy, with no justice, no accountability, and no remorse," the BJP leader said, adding, "No resignation will bring back the time lost, the money wasted, or the stolen chance for football lovers to witness Messi in Kolkata."
