Health & Environment
Study Estimates 5,726 Annual Rabies Deaths In India Amid Surveillance Gaps
The Hindu1h
THE BRIEF
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A recent community-based ICMR-NIE study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases estimated that India records 5,726 human rabies deaths annually.
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Government surveillance data from the IDSP-IHIP system reported 54 rabies deaths in 2024, highlighting a vast gap between official figures and modelled estimates.
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Experts noted that consolidated tracking remains challenging because many cases occur in unmeasurable areas and urged stringent post-exposure vaccination and stray dog immunization.