Sorab taluk in Karnataka recorded 1,522 dog-bite cases between January and August this year, according to data from primary health centres and the government hospital, as residents reported increasing stray-dog activity in urban and rural areas.
The cases were recorded based on the number of people who received anti-rabies vaccines after dog bites. Monthly figures released in the report show 253 cases in January, 204 in February, 176 in March, 202 in April, 167 in May, 167 in June, 191 in July and 162 in August.
Residents said stray dogs were frequently seen around the bus stand, schools, anganwadis, main roads and hospitals in Sorab and surrounding areas. They alleged that dogs gathered near hotels, meat shops and settlements, sometimes chasing pedestrians and two-wheeler riders. Residents also reported incidents involving children and said some riders had fallen after dogs suddenly crossed their path.
Local resident Rasheed Khan alleged that people from rural areas sometimes brought puppies to the town and abandoned them, contributing to the increase in the stray-dog population. He said residents had raised concerns with the municipality and called for sterilisation or other measures to control the population. According to him, the civic body had not taken sufficient action despite the rise in dog-bite cases.
Khan also said that administering anti-rabies injections to dogs alone would not address incidents involving aggressive animals and questioned who would be responsible if a serious attack caused loss of life. These allegations were made by residents in the report; the municipality’s response was not included.
Taluk health officer Harsha Patil said there was no shortage of anti-rabies vaccines at the primary health centres. People who reported dog bites were being provided vaccines at the relevant centres, he said. Patil added that no rabies case had been recorded in the taluk during the eight-month period.
The report also recorded 85 snakebite cases in Sorab taluk between January and August. The health officer said people working in agricultural fields in rural areas were among those affected, while vaccines were available at the primary health centres. No deaths from snakebite had been recorded during the period, according to the report.
Health officials said vaccination services for dog-bite cases remained available at the taluk’s primary health centres and government hospital.
