Former Children's Rights Commissioner and public figure Aruzhan Sain has stated there may be discrepancies in how data on animal attacks on people is interpreted. The point of discussion was a comparison between official medical statistics and claims about the number of dog attack cases.
WHAT DATA FORMED THE BASIS OF THE DISCUSSION
As Aruzhan Sain noted on her Facebook page, the Ministry of Health's statistics use codes ICD-10 W53–W59, which include not only cases involving dogs. This category, it is claimed, includes bites, salivation, scratches, and other impacts from animals and organisms.
Among the sources of injury listed are rats, dogs, other mammals, farm animals, reptiles, insects, and arthropods.
WHAT THE DATA ON HOSPITALISATIONS SHOWED
According to Aruzhan Sain, this refers to inpatient cases — that is, patients who required hospitalisation.
- 2025 — 533 cases, of which 158 were linked to dogs. The remaining 375 cases (70.4%) were attributed to other sources.
- 2024 — 527 cases, of which 182 were linked to dogs. The remaining 345 cases (65.5%) were also not related to dogs.
HOW MANY CONSULTATIONS WERE RECORDED IN MEDICAL FACILITIES
The publication also provided data which, it claims, was confirmed by the Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Control. In all cases, consultations at medical facilities regarding animal bites, scratches, and salivation were taken into account.
- 2024 — 49,693 consultations.
- 2023 — 49,849 consultations.
These figures relate to all cases of contact with animals and other organisms, not just dogs.
WHAT DID NOT MATCH THE OFFICIAL STATISTICS
Separately mentioned is the statement from MP Yedil Zhanbyrshin that, on average, five people per hour are attacked by dogs in the country. According to the author's calculation, this amounts to approximately 43,800 cases per year.
However, Aruzhan Sain noted that the open data, the calculation methodology, and the breakdown of these cases were not presented.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Statistics on animal bites and injuries are used when discussing draft laws, sanitary measures, and rules for the handling of animals. Therefore, not only the total number of cases matters, but also the breakdown of the data: which specific animals feature in the reports, how severe the injuries were, and how many cases required hospitalisation.
CONTEXT
The issue is being discussed against the backdrop of amendments to the Law "On Responsible Handling of Animals" approved in the Mazhilis in early April. The document provides for reducing the period animals are kept in custody after capture and permits the euthanasia of stray animals.