Explainer · Updated October 2026
Do stray dogs in India have rabies? What lab tests, antibody surveys and vaccination data show
Rabies circulates in street dogs across India: the national action plan says it is endemic in every state and UT except the Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands. No survey has measured what share of all street dogs carry the virus. Among dogs tested because they were suspected to be rabid, studies find 26% to 76% positive. Most street dogs are not vaccinated to the 70% level needed to stop spread.
Key findings
- Rabies is endemic in all states and UTs except the Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands, according to India's National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination.
- About 96% of rabies deaths and illness in India are linked to dog bites, the national action plan says.
- No study has tested a random sample of India's street dogs for the virus, so there is no honest figure for the share of all strays with rabies.
- Among dogs tested because they were suspected to be rabid, positivity ran from 26.3% in Thiruvananthapuram (2024) to 76% in Puducherry (2023).
- The ICMR national study found, as reported by The South First, 74.8% of suspected rabid dogs positive, and 61% of documented dog bites were from strays.
- Only 1% of 100 street dogs in Chandigarh had protective antibody levels in a 2011 study, against 16% of 50 pet dogs.
- In Bengaluru, 125 of 250 vaccinated free-roaming dogs (50%) had antibody titres of 0.5 IU or more in 2018.
- Goa vaccinated 97,277 of an estimated 1,37,353 dogs in 2017, reaching 71.7% of all dogs but 53.1% of roaming dogs. Human rabies deaths fell from 17 in 2014 to zero in 2018 and 2019.
- States reported 101.54 lakh rabies vaccine doses given to dogs in three years to 2024, about 33.8 lakh a year against 1.53 crore counted strays.
- Kerala recorded 33 human rabies deaths in 2025, up from 11 in 2021, according to state data reported by Kerala Kaumudi.
Do stray dogs in India have rabies?
Some do, and rabies is present in street dog populations across nearly all of India. The National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE) says rabies is endemic in all states and UTs except the Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands. It links about 96% of rabies deaths and illness in India to dog bites.
That does not mean most street dogs are infected at any moment. The data we have comes from dogs that were tested because they looked sick, died, or bit someone. Among those suspect dogs, a large share tests positive.
Samples are suspect, dead or biting animals, not random street dogs. Goa samples are mostly dogs and include 10 healthy road-accident control dogs. Sources listed in the table below.
Show the numbers
| Label | % |
|---|---|
| Puducherry, 2023 (19 of 25) | 76% |
| ICMR national study, 2022-23 | 74.8% |
| Goa surveillance (121 of 209) | 57.9% |
| Kerala, 2022 (168 of 300) | 56% |
| Kerala, 2016 (48 of 150) | 32% |
| Thiruvananthapuram strays, 2024 (15 of 57) | 26.3% |
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| Place and period | Samples tested | Positive | Positive (%) | Who was tested | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puducherry, 2023 | 25 | 19 | 76.0 | Suspected dead rabid animals; all positives were free-roaming dogs | Killada et al, Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2025 |
| India, 15 states, 2022 to 2023 | Not stated | Not stated | 74.8 | Suspected rabid dogs | ICMR study, reported by The South First |
| Goa surveillance (published 2019) | 209 | 121 | 57.9 | Brains of animals from Goa rabies surveillance (188 dogs, 9 cats, 5 others) plus 10 road-accident control dogs | Yale et al, Viruses 2019 |
| Kerala, 2022 | 300 | 168 | 56.0 | Pet dogs and dead dogs | State Institute for Animal Diseases, via Onmanorama |
| Kerala, 2016 | 150 | 48 | 32.0 | Samples collected that year | State Institute for Animal Diseases, via Onmanorama |
| Thiruvananthapuram city (reported 2024) | 57 | 15 | 26.3 | Stray dog samples | SIAD, via Kerala Kaumudi |
What percentage of stray dogs have rabies?
Nobody knows, and any single number you read online is a guess. Testing for the virus needs brain tissue, so it is done on dead animals. That is why surveillance in India relies on suspect cases rather than random samples.
What researchers can measure in live dogs is protection, using blood tests for rabies antibodies. A titre of 0.5 IU/ml or more is the protective level used in these studies. The results show how many dogs are shielded, not how many are infected.
Chandigarh: Singh et al, Tropical Animal Health and Production 2011 (100 street, 50 pet dogs, ELISA). Bengaluru: Das et al, Viruses 2022 (250 vaccinated free-roaming dogs, RFFIT, sampled January to June 2018).
Show the numbers
| Label | % |
|---|---|
| Bengaluru vaccinated free-roaming dogs, 2018 | 50% |
| Chandigarh pet dogs, 2011 | 16% |
| Chandigarh street dogs, 2011 | 1% |
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| Study | Dogs sampled | With protective antibodies | Share (%) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chandigarh street dogs (2011) | 100 | 1 | 1 | First Indian survey of street and household dogs |
| Chandigarh pet dogs (2011) | 50 | 8 | 16 | 66% of owners skipped annual boosters |
| Bengaluru vaccinated free-roaming dogs (2018) | 250 | 125 | 50 | All had been vaccinated in BBMP and NGO drives in 2017 to 2018 |
The Bengaluru result is a warning about relying on one round of vaccination. Only half of dogs with a recorded vaccine had a protective titre when tested. The Chandigarh study found that awareness among pet owners was low too.
Are stray dogs in India vaccinated against rabies?
Some are, but far fewer than the target. NAPRE aims for at least 70% anti-rabies vaccination coverage of dogs in an area every year. Under the Animal Birth Control Rules 2023, local bodies run sterilisation and vaccination programmes for street dogs.
National numbers are thin. The animal husbandry department told the Lok Sabha in August 2024 that states gave 101.54 lakh rabies vaccine doses to dogs over the last three years. That averages about 33.8 lakh doses a year.
Goa: post-campaign survey estimates, Gibson et al, Nature Communications 2022 (2017). India: 33.8 lakh doses a year (PIB, 6 August 2024) divided by 1.53 crore strays (2019), our calculation; doses include pets. Thiruvananthapuram: municipal survey with CAWA, via Kerala Kaumudi (2024). Kerala unowned dogs: a model assumption in Luka et al, Lancet Regional Health SE Asia 2026, not a field count.
Show the numbers
| Label | % |
|---|---|
| NAPRE target | 70% |
| Goa, all dogs sighted, 2017 | 71.7% |
| Goa, roaming dogs, 2017 | 53.1% |
| Thiruvananthapuram strays, 2024 | 42% |
| India, central-scheme doses a year vs 2019 stray count (not a survey) | 22% |
| Kerala unowned dogs, model status quo | 3% |
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| Area | Measure | Figure | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | Rabies vaccine doses given to dogs | 101.54 lakh | 3 years to 2024 | Lok Sabha reply, PIB 6 Aug 2024 |
| India | Central funds for dog rabies vaccine (ASCAD) | Rs 1,423.41 lakh for over 80 lakh doses | 2024-25 | Lok Sabha reply, via IANS, 22 Jul 2025 |
| India | Stray dogs counted | 1,53,04,345 | 2019 | 20th Livestock Census, DAHD |
| India | Coverage target | At least 70% of dogs a year | NAPRE, 2021 | MoHFW and DAHD |
| Goa | Dogs vaccinated / estimated dogs | 97,277 of 1,37,353 (survey coverage 71.7% of all dogs, 53.1% of roaming dogs) | 2017 | Gibson et al 2022 |
| Goa | Dogs vaccinated by Mission Rabies | Over 61,000 | 2024 | Mission Rabies |
| Thiruvananthapuram | Strays vaccinated | 42% of 8,679 | Reported 2024 | Municipal survey with CAWA |
| Jodhpur | Free-roaming dogs sterilised and vaccinated | 61.8% to 86.5% | 2007 | Totton et al 2010 |
| Kerala | Coverage assumed for current practice | 3% unowned, 50% owned dogs | Model, 2026 | Luka et al 2026 |
If every one of those 33.8 lakh doses went to a different street dog, it would cover about 22% of the 1.53 crore counted in 2019. Some doses went to pets, and city or NGO drives may sit outside this count. On the central count alone, coverage is far below the 70% target.
Funding has risen since. The Centre told the Lok Sabha in July 2025 that it released Rs 1,423.41 lakh in 2024-25 for over 80 lakh dog vaccine doses under its ASCAD scheme, IANS reported. No later count of doses actually given was published.
Sterilisation drives also vaccinate, but they move slowly. Our ABC sterilisation report tracks city coverage, and our street dog population data shows the census counts.
Is there a rabies-free state in India?
Only two island territories have no endemic rabies: the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep, per NAPRE. A 2017 field check found no human or animal rabies in island records for 2007 to 2017, and 18 dog and cat brain samples tested negative. No mainland state has been declared rabies free. Goa comes closest.
Goa's government declared it a Rabies Controlled Area by notification on 17 May 2021. It reiterated the rules in October 2025, requiring dogs and cats entering Goa to be registered and vaccinated. In June 2026 Goa approved a Rs 2.96 crore scheme to keep that status from April 2026 to March 2029. The scheme plans about 30,000 dog vaccinations a year in border talukas and 10,000 more through ring and emergency drives.
| Area | Status | Basis | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Rabies not endemic | NAPRE | 2021 plan |
| Lakshadweep | Rabies not endemic | NAPRE | 2021 plan |
| Goa | Rabies Controlled Area | Goa notification of 17 May 2021, reiterated 23 October 2025 | October 2025 |
| 15 cities in 6 states | Rabies Free City initiative under way | Health Ministry reply to Lok Sabha | July 2026 |
| 114 cities | Planned for the Rabies Free City initiative | Health Ministry reply to Lok Sabha | July 2026 |
| Rest of India | Rabies endemic | NAPRE | 2021 plan |
Gibson et al, Nature Communications 2022. Human deaths per year from Goa's Directorate of Health. Dog cases are mean confirmed cases per month.
Show the numbers
| Label | count |
|---|---|
| Human deaths, 2014 | 17 |
| Human deaths, 2018 | 0 |
| Human deaths, 2019 | 0 |
| Dog cases a month, 2014 | 10.6 |
| Dog cases a month, 2019 | 0.8 |
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Goa's gains are fragile. The Goan reported in July 2024 that a woman from North Goa died of rabies in September 2023, the state's first human death in over five years. It also reported four confirmed dog cases in 2024 by early July.
Can pet dogs have rabies too?
Yes. A dog's owner does not protect it from the virus; vaccination does. In the ICMR survey, as reported by The South First, 39% of documented dog bites came from pets and 61% from strays. In Kerala, 6 of the 20 rabies deaths reported by early September 2022 followed bites from pet dogs.
Pets are often under-vaccinated. In the Chandigarh study, only 16% of pet dogs had protective antibodies, and 66% of owners had skipped annual boosters. The NCDC module says a bitten person should get treatment whatever the biting dog's vaccination record.
ICMR national community survey (Thangaraj et al, Lancet Infectious Diseases 2025), as reported by The South First, 30 October 2024.
Show the numbers
| Label | Stray dogs | Pet dogs |
|---|---|---|
| Documented dog bites | 61 | 39 |
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Why are rabies deaths rising in Kerala?
Kerala shows that treating people is not enough without vaccinating dogs. The state gives free post-exposure treatment to more than 9 lakh people a year, with completion above 90%, according to a 2026 Lancet Regional Health study. Yet rabies deaths rose from 5 in 2016 to 33 in 2025.
The same study found Kerala's unowned dog population is probably about five times the 2019 census figure of 2,89,986. Its model assumed current vaccination reaches only 3% of unowned dogs. Raising dog vaccination to 70% brought projected deaths close to zero within about three years.
2016 to 2024: Directorate of Health Services, via Onmanorama, 10 September 2025. 2025: state data via Kerala Kaumudi, 3 February 2026, within the 5 to 33 range for 2012 to 2025 given in Luka et al 2026.
Show the numbers
| Label | deaths |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 5 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 9 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 11 |
| 2022 | 27 |
| 2023 | 25 |
| 2024 | 26 |
| 2025 | 33 |
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| Year | Rabies deaths | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 5 | Directorate of Health Services, via Onmanorama |
| 2017 | 8 | Directorate of Health Services, via Onmanorama |
| 2018 | 9 | Directorate of Health Services, via Onmanorama |
| 2019 | 8 | Directorate of Health Services, via Onmanorama |
| 2020 | 5 | Directorate of Health Services, via Onmanorama |
| 2021 | 11 | Directorate of Health Services, via Onmanorama |
| 2022 | 27 | Directorate of Health Services, via Onmanorama |
| 2023 | 25 | Directorate of Health Services, via Onmanorama |
| 2024 | 26 | Directorate of Health Services, via Onmanorama |
| 2025 | 33 | Kerala Kaumudi, 3 Feb 2026 (local government department data) |
Bites have climbed too. Kerala Kaumudi, citing the local government department, reported 3.69 lakh stray dog bites in 2025 and 15.02 lakh from 2021 to 2025.
Deaths in 2021 to 2025 add up to 122, against 35 in 2016 to 2020. Our rabies vaccine access report compares Kerala's free treatment with other states.
What should you do if a stray dog bites you?
Assume it could be rabid, because you cannot tell by looking. Wash the wound for up to 15 minutes with soap and running water, then go to an anti-rabies clinic the same day. Treatment is free at government facilities.
Doctors grade the bite into category I, II or III and start the vaccine, with immunoglobulin for category III. Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms start, but WHO's 2018 paper says over 99% of patients survive when treatment is given promptly and fully. Follow your doctor's schedule to the last dose.
- Wash every bite or scratch for up to 15 minutes with soap and running water.
- Do not put chilli, turmeric, oil or lime on the wound.
- Go to the nearest government anti-rabies clinic the same day; the vaccine is free there.
- Complete every dose on the dates written on your card.
- If the dog can be watched, tell the doctor if it falls sick or dies within 10 days.
Our guide to anti-rabies injection cost and schedule explains the categories and dates. National bite and death counts are in our dog bite and rabies statistics.
Frequently asked questions
Do stray dogs in India have rabies?
Some do. Rabies is endemic in every state and UT except the Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands, according to India's national rabies action plan. About 96% of rabies deaths and illness in India are linked to dog bites.
What percentage of stray dogs have rabies?
There is no reliable figure, because no study has tested a random sample of India's street dogs. Among dogs tested because they were suspected to be rabid, Indian studies found 26% to 76% positive. Those numbers describe suspect dogs, not all strays.
Are stray dogs vaccinated in India?
Some are, through municipal sterilisation drives and NGOs, but coverage is mostly far below the 70% target. States reported about 33.8 lakh dog vaccine doses a year under the central scheme, against 1.53 crore stray dogs counted in 2019. Goa reached an estimated 71.7% of all dogs, and 53.1% of roaming dogs, in 2017.
Which state in India is rabies free?
No mainland state is officially rabies free. The national action plan lists the Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands as the only areas where rabies is not endemic. Goa was declared a Rabies Controlled Area in May 2021.
Can a vaccinated dog have rabies?
It is less likely, but possible if the vaccine was poorly stored or the dog missed boosters. India's NCDC guidance says a bite victim should get treatment whatever the dog's vaccination status. In Bengaluru, only half of vaccinated street dogs tested had protective antibodies.
Can pet dogs give you rabies?
Yes. In the ICMR survey, 39% of documented dog bites came from pet dogs. In Kerala, 6 of the 20 rabies deaths reported by early September 2022 followed pet dog bites. Treat every dog bite as a possible exposure.
How can you tell if a stray dog has rabies?
You cannot be sure by looking. Only a lab test on brain tissue, done after the animal dies, confirms it. That is why doctors start treatment after any category II or III bite.
Is Goa rabies free?
Goa is a Rabies Controlled Area, not officially rabies free. Its dog vaccination drive cut human rabies deaths from 17 in 2014 to zero in 2018 and 2019. A human death in September 2023 and dog cases in 2024 show the risk is still there.
Methodology and limitations
We collected every peer-reviewed or official figure we could find on rabies in Indian dogs. We separated lab positivity in suspect animals from antibody surveys and from vaccination coverage, because they measure different things. Percentages are our calculation from the counts each source gives.
Rabies-free status comes from the National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination and from Goa's 2021 and 2025 notifications as reported. The national dose count is from a Lok Sabha reply published by PIB on 6 August 2024. The stray dog count is the 20th Livestock Census district file from DAHD, summed in Python.
Kerala death counts come from the state Directorate of Health Services and local government data as reported by Onmanorama and Kerala Kaumudi. The 2025 figure is the top of the 5 to 33 a year range for 2012 to 2025 in the 2026 Lancet Regional Health study.
Sources
- National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030 (NAPRE), MoHFW and DAHD, Rabies endemic except A&N and Lakshadweep; 96% linked to dog bites; 70% vaccination target
- Gibson et al, Nature Communications 2022, Goa: 97,277 of 1,37,353 dogs vaccinated in 2017; human deaths 17 to 0; dog cases down 92%
- PIB, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Lok Sabha reply, 6 August 2024, 101.54 lakh rabies vaccine doses given to dogs in three years
- Also consulted: Killada et al, Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2025, Yale et al, Viruses 2019, Singh et al, Tropical Animal Health and Production 2011, Das et al, Viruses 2022, Totton et al, Preventive Veterinary Medicine 2010, Isloor, Mani and Jayakrishnappa, Indian Journal of Public Health 2019, Luka et al, Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia 2026, Thangaraj et al, The Lancet Infectious Diseases 2025 (ICMR-NIE), The South First, 30 October 2024, on the ICMR study, Onmanorama, 5 September 2022, Kerala Kaumudi, 6 September 2024, Onmanorama, 10 September 2025, Directorate of Health Services data, Kerala Kaumudi, 3 February 2026, DAHD, 20th Livestock Census district-wise stray dogs (2019), TeamLease RegTech on Goa Animal Husbandry notification, 23 October 2025, The Goan, 7 July 2024, The Goan, 26 June 2026, Mission Rabies, Goa programme page, Daily Excelsior (PTI), Lok Sabha reply, 24 July 2026, NCDC Training Module on Rabies for Medical Officers, Rabies vaccines: WHO position paper, April 2018, IANS, 22 July 2025, Lok Sabha reply, The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia 2025 facility survey (Krishna et al), PIB release 2157898, 19 August 2025, on stray dog management.
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