Kashmir’s Growing Rabies Crisis: As Dogs Dominate, Cats Quietly Catch Up

by Masood Hussain Follow Us On G -N e w s | Whatsapp

SRINAGAR: On September 28, World Rabies Day, Jammu and Kashmir’s health authorities find themselves staring at an uncomfortable truth: in the 21st century, people here are still dying from a disease that is 100 percent preventable with timely vaccination.

At least three people, including a six-year-old child from Kulgam, have succumbed to rabies in Kashmir in the first six months of 2025. In Rajouri, a young girl died after being treated by quacks instead of doctors. In Srinagar, a youth collapsed at SMHS Hospital. Each death, experts say, could have been prevented by a simple but timely post-exposure prophylaxis schedule.

For decades, Kashmir’s rabies crisis was synonymous with stray dogs. A survey once cou