On 9th August, a national-level para-athlete died of rabies in Odisha’s Bolangir. He was among two who died of rabies after a rabies-infected rabid dog went on a biting spree on 23rd July. Six people were attacked, including 33-year-old para-athlete Jogendra Chhatria. Among the bitten were school students as well.
The victims were taken to the Bolangir district headquarters hospital and later referred to Burla. While four recovered, Chhatria and another victim, 48-year-old Hrushikesh Rana, succumbed to rabies on Saturday while undergoing treatment.
Notably, another state-level Kabaddi player in Uttar Pradesh died last month of rabies after ignoring vaccination following a puppy bite. Government data shows that there were 37 lakh cases of dog bites in 2024 alone, highlighting a growing public health concern.
OpIndia is doing a series on the stray dog menace in India which can be checked here.
