Hospitals across Karachi reported 1,125 dog bite patients within the first six days of 2026, highlighting the growing scale of dog bite cases in the metropolis.
According to official data, Indus Hospital treated about 300 victims, Jinnah Hospital received 180 cases, while Civil Hospital handled 305 dog bite patients during the period.
Additional reports listed 149 cases at Qatar Hospital Orangi Town, 128 at Liaquatabad Hospital, 57 in New Karachi, and six patients in Korangi district facilities.
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Doctors warned untreated bites can transmit rabies, stressing immediate wound washing, timely vaccination, and completion of prescribed doses to prevent fatal outcomes among affected patients.
Last year, major Karachi hospitals recorded at least 20 rabies deaths, underscoring long-standing gaps in animal control, vaccination coverage, and coordinated municipal response citywide efforts.
Residents said Karachi dog bite cases have restricted daily routines, leaving children indoors, discouraging women from walking alone, and increasing anxiety during routine errands citywide.
READ: Sindh minister directs dog cull campaign in Karachi’s Gulshan area
Last year in July, Pakistan has developed its first-ever indigenous biomolecule to produce human anti-rabies vaccines, marking a critical step toward self-reliance in public health and immunization.
This milestone achievement comes from the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), which announced the successful lab-scale formulation of a locally developed rabies vaccine using a purified and inactivated virus strain isolated within Pakistan.
The vaccine is now progressing toward clinical trial batch production for Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) approval.
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For decades, Pakistan has relied entirely on imported vaccines, spending over Rs26 billion annually – a figure projected to rise to Rs100 billion by 2031, when global donor support from GAVI is expected to phase out.
According to health experts, dog bites contribute to an estimated 2,000 to 5,000 rabies deaths each year in Pakistan.
“This is the first human vaccine developed in Pakistan from a locally obtained biomolecule,” confirmed pharmaceutical industry officials. “It will significantly reduce our dependence on imported vaccines.”
