Question: how prevelant is rabies in india as you are aware in the uk doesn't exsist?

Marisol Collins answered on 8 Nov 2016:

Hi 746nveg23, this is a great question, thank you for asking it. It is estimated that in India between 25,000 and 30,000 people die each year from rabies. The majority of these people are children, as they are more likely to be bitten by a dog that has rabies. The numbers of people affected is probably higher than this, as not all deaths will be reported. It really is a hotspot for rabies. Around a third of all the world’s rabies deaths occur in India alone. We don’t know how many animals are infected with rabies in India, but we do know that there are over 30 million stray dogs in the country, and they could be a source of rabies infection to people because they also live in villages and cities where they can get food. We are very lucky to not have rabies in the UK. It helps that we are an island, and that all dogs coming from abroad have to be vaccinated against rabies.