Animal activist Ambika Shukla has sparked controversy after making claims about rabies that many online called dangerously misleading. Speaking at a demonstration against the Supreme Court’s recent order to relocate stray dogs from Delhi-NCR to shelters within eight weeks, Shukla downplayed the risks of rabies, calling it a “mild virus” and suggesting that simply washing a wound with soap could neutralize it.

“Rabies only spreads if the virus enters the bloodstream through saliva or an open wound,” Shukla said in a video shared by the X handle ‘The Red Mike’. “But the virus is so delicate that if you wash the wound with soap, it dies.” She also claimed rabies is rare in India, citing just 54 cases in a population of over a billion. “Dogs don’t bite as much as it’s made out to be,” she added.

Shukla, who is also the sister of BJP MP Maneka Gandhi, quickly drew criticism from users online, who accused her of spreading misinformation.

“I’m not a doctor, but rabies is not a mild disease—it’s a deadly virus that attacks the nervous system and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear,” one user wrote. “Washing the wound with soap is important, but it’s not a cure. Medical attention, including post-exposure vaccination and immunoglobulin, is essential.”

Another commenter appealed to health professionals: “My humble request to the medical community—please educate the public about the true dangers of rabies. People need to understand how deadly this disease really is.”

A 2024 study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research–National Institute of Epidemiology (ICMR-NIE) found that rabies kills over 5,700 people in India annually, despite widespread awareness and access to vaccines, in contrast to Shukla's assertion.

While it's true that washing a bite wound with soap and water is an important first step, experts emphasize that it only helps reduce the amount of virus at the site—it doesn’t guarantee safety. Rabies is so deadly that even a small delay in proper treatment can cost a life. That’s why getting medical help immediately, including a full course of post-exposure vaccines and immunoglobulin when needed, is absolutely critical.

In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called rabies a major public health issue in more than 150 countries, especially in Asia and Africa. It’s not a rare or harmless disease—once symptoms appear, it’s almost always fatal.