Kochi: The state health department has revealed that in the last three years 3.98 lakh persons were bitten by dogs in Kerala. This year up to August, 91,052 dog bites were reported, according to a reply under the Right to Information Act. In the last four years, 38 persons succumbed to injuries and rabies infection. The number increased with 62,280 cases in 2013, 1,19,191 in 2014 and 1,25,385 in 2015.
Mr P.S. Ramabhadran, state public information officer of the Kerala Health Services Department, issued the RTI reply to Mr Raju Vazhakkala, an RTI activist. From April 1, 2013 to August 31, 2016, a total of 3,97,908 persons were bitten by dogs. It was also reported that 48 persons died from January 1, 2012 to August 31, 2016 due to rabies infection, the RTI said. Mr Raju Vazhakkala asked the state to hand over the details of the dog bite cases in the last ten years. The state, however, clarified that statistics from 2012 only was available with it.
Recently, a panel appointed by the apex court informed the court that more than one lakh people in Kerala have been bitten by dogs in 2015-16. This year, two elderly persons died due to the stray dog attack and the state witnessed widespread protests. The situation led to people taking law into their hands by killing stray dogs and openly exhibiting the carcass. The RTI further reveals that Thiruvannathapuram district leads the table with 88,124 dog bite cases in the last three years. There were 63,110 incidents in Palakkad and 50,656 in Kollam district.
