More than 50,000 people have reported being bitten by dogs in Shanghai in the first seven months of this year, leading to three deaths, local health authorities said Friday.

The number indicated an increase of 18.16 percent from a year earlier, and it is expected to reach 100,000 by the end of this year, health authorities said.

The latest death took place on Aug. 25 when a 9-year-old boy died of rabies in the city's Fengxian District.

Rabies, often spread by dog bites, attacks the nervous system and is fatal in humans if not treated prior to the onset of symptoms.

"Once being bitten by a dog, he or she must go to see doctor immediately and get vaccination as soon as possible," said Hu Jiayu, of the Shanghai Disease Prevention and Control Center.

Earlier reports cited local health official as saying that none of the three victims sought medical treatment after being bitten by dogs.

In the Chinese capital of Beijing, five people had died from rabies so far this year, with close to 70,000 people reporting being bitten by dogs in the first half year.

Earlier in July, the Mouding County of southwest China's Yunnan Province reported three deaths from rabies. The victims died within 10 days after being bitten even though they had received treatment. The outraged community slaughtered 50,000 dogs after the deaths were reported, which stirred a controversy across the country.

Nationwide, more than 2,500 people die of rabies each year over recent years, Hu said.

China's Ministry of Health has launched a program to conduct regular monitoring of rabies across the country to collect evidence and use it as a basis for drafting regulations that can effectively control rabies.

(Xinhua News Agency September 16, 2006)