Chandigarh, April 7: Punjab recorded a 47% increase in dog-bite cases over two years, climbing from 15,519 in 2022 to 22,912 in 2024, according to data released by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in response to a Right to Information (RTI) query.
The state reported only 582 cases in 2021, but the figure jumped dramatically in 2022 and continued to rise, with authorities already logging 4,682 cases in the first two months of 2025. Jalandhar alone accounted for 1,333 of these cases.
According to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme–Integrated Health Information Platform, Patiala district topped the list in 2022 with 2,066 dog-bite cases, followed by 3,300 in 2023 and 3,285 in 2024. Other districts with consistently high case counts between 2022 and 2024 include Sangrur (4,813), Moga (4,359), Jalandhar (4,340), and Muktsar Sahib (3,869).
While the rise in cases is concerning, only one dog-bite-related death was reported in the last five years—from Fazilka—according to the Human Rabies Deaths report maintained by Punjab’s health department.
In response, state authorities mentioned that measures are underway under the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) and the National Action Plan for Dog-Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030 (NAPRE).
“The state is working on a dedicated action plan for rabies elimination,” an official involved in disease control said. “So far, 23 model anti-rabies clinics have been established, and rabies-free city initiatives have begun in Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar.”
