Dog bite cases rise at alarming level

Govt yet to launch campaign to neuter, vaccinate stray dogs

HYDERABAD:

The city is experiencing an alarming surge in dog bite cases, while the Sindh government remains confined to planning a campaign to neuter and vaccinate stray dogs, especially seven years after an identical drive failed to secure the desired objectives.

The city has recorded a 63 per cent increase in these cases in 2026 in comparison to the previous year, a meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner Zainul Abedin Memon was briefed on Saturday.

District Health Officer (DHO) Hyderabad Dr Pir Ghulam Hussain shared that the nine Anti-Rabies Centres, functioning in Hyderabad, received 2,944 patients from January to September this year.

He apprised that during the same period in 2025 the combined figure of the year's first nine months was 1,805 patients.

As per the statistics shared by the DHO with The Express Tribune, not only the year-on-year comparison has shown a surge, the same hike is visible even in the month-to-month figures. As many as 322 people were bitten in January this year against 91 in 2025.

The highest number of these cases touched the 306 mark in July last year, while the current year's seventh lowest figure happens to be the same, 306, as registered in May.

Some 396 patients were recorded in July 2026, while the numbers for April, June, August, September and January were 359, 358, 357, 338 and 322, respectively.

Alarmingly, 558 or almost 20 per cent of the dog bite victims are still receiving medical treatment. Some 352 patients were given Equine Rabies Immunoglobulin (ERIG) doses because they were placed in category III of the rabies.

According to the DHO, dog bite cases usually enhanced during July to September breeding season. The deputy commissioner viewed the growing stray-dog population as a serious public health concern.

Memon noted that rabies becomes fatal once clinical symptoms develop in patients.

He directed the officials to monitor all the nine Anti Rabies Centers regularly to assess treatment procedures and availability of ARVs. It was decided that a review meeting would be held every two weeks.

Despite some efforts, including a drive by Sindh's Rabies Control Programme to sterilise over 25,500 dogs and vaccinate more than 36,900 across 20 districts, stray dog populations continue to grow.

The WHO recommends vaccinating at least 70 per cent of a dog population to break transmission cycles, and at the current pace, Sindh will likely never come close to that number.