Health & Environment
ICMR study estimates 5,726 annual rabies deaths in India
The Hindu4h
THE BRIEF
1
India recorded 54 human rabies deaths in 2024 through the Health Ministry's disease surveillance system, while an ICMR-led study estimates actual annual deaths at 5,726.
2
Rabies is not a notifiable disease nationwide, with reporting historically dependent on individual state legislation and local notification frameworks.
3
The community-based ICMR study revealed that about one in five dog-bite victims did not receive an anti-rabies vaccine.