A tragic incident has come to light in Ahmedabad, where Police Inspector Vanraj Manjaria, posted at the Ahmedabad City Police Control Room, lost his life after contracting rabies. The infection was caused not by a bite but by a scratch from his own pet dog, underscoring the often-overlooked risks of this deadly disease. The case has shocked many, as it challenges the common belief that rabies can only spread through dog bites and not through scratches.
Inspector Manjaria reportedly did not take any preventive measures following the incident. Like many others, he was under the impression that scratches posed no real danger of transmitting rabies. However, the virus entered his system through the seemingly minor wound, and once symptoms began to appear, the disease progressed rapidly. Although he was immediately hospitalised after testing positive, his condition worsened quickly, leading to his untimely death.
Rabies, caused by a virus belonging to the Lyssavirus genus, is among the deadliest infections known to humanity. The virus targets the brain and nervous system, producing symptoms such as fever, anxiety, difficulty swallowing, hallucinations, and confusion. Once symptoms develop, rabies is almost always fatal, making preventive vaccination and immediate treatment after an animal bite or scratch the only effective safeguard.
India, despite significant progress in tackling the disease, continues to be one of the worst-affected countries globally. According to a Lancet study published earlier this year, the country still records around 5,726 rabies-related deaths annually, despite achieving a 75 percent reduction in fatalities. The study also highlighted that nearly nine million animal bite cases are reported across India every year, with two-thirds of them linked to dog bites, the primary driver of rabies transmission.
The dangers posed by rabies have been reinforced by recent cases across different states. Just last month, a four-year-old girl from Davangere in Karnataka died after being attacked by a stray dog. Karnataka alone has documented 2.86 lakh dog bite cases and at least 26 suspected rabies deaths in 2025 so far, raising alarms about public health safety. Similarly, in August, Odisha reported two rabies-related deaths — that of a 33-year-old national-level para-athlete and a 48-year-old farmer. What made these cases particularly tragic was that both individuals had received post-bite vaccinations, yet they still succumbed to the disease, highlighting the unpredictable and unforgiving nature of rabies.
Inspector Manjaria’s death is not only a personal tragedy for his family and colleagues but also a grim reminder of the need for greater awareness about rabies prevention. Medical experts stress that any contact with a potentially infected animal, whether through a bite, scratch, or even saliva entering a wound, must be taken seriously. Immediate wound cleaning and timely vaccination remain critical steps in saving lives. The incident is likely to fuel discussions about improving awareness campaigns and strengthening vaccination drives to prevent further such avoidable deaths.
