Rabies deaths on the rise in eastern city's suburbs

SHANGHAI - Rabies killed six people in the city in the first eight months of the year, while in the same period last year only one person was infected by the deadly virus.

Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday called on citizens to raise awareness of the health risks resulting from dog bites.

The disease center treated more than 40,000 people for dog bites in the first half of this year, 40 percent more than in the same period last year, said Leng Guangming, a spokesman for the center.