# Rabies elimination in Bhutan

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/rabies-elimination-in-bhutan
> Updated: 2026-09-27T11:33:18.000Z. Sources: 12. Developments: 2.

Bhutan has been recognized as the first country in the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Region to eliminate dog-transmitted human rabies as a public health problem. The nation has reported no deaths from dog-mediated rabies since June 2023.

This milestone follows more than ten years of integrated initiatives involving dog vaccination, population management, and disease surveillance. To sustain this status, Bhutan plans to continue mass vaccinations, maintain human and animal health surveillance, and provide free treatment for rabies exposure across all 20 districts while strengthening cooperation with neighboring Indian states.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-27: Kedah reports first human rabies death since 1998

A 31-year-old man in Kedah has died from rabies, the first human case reported in the Malaysian state since 1998, following a stray dog bite in August.

10 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/kedah-reports-first-human-rabies-death-since-1998

### 2026-09-18: Bhutan eliminates dog-transmitted human rabies

Bhutan is the first country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to eliminate dog-transmitted human rabies, reporting no human deaths from the disease since June 2023.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bhutan-eliminates-dog-transmitted-human-rabies

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Cite as: Rabies elimination in Bhutan. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/rabies-elimination-in-bhutan