CHINA has ordered all dogs be given compulsory inoculations against rabies to try to quell an upsurge in the disease amongst humans, the Health Ministry announced.

The country has an exploding dog population, but less than 10 per cent are vaccinated against rabies, the ministry's official Health News said.

China recorded 3311 human cases last year, up from 2651 in 2004, it added.

"The situation is extremely serious," the report said.

"In order to control as soon as possible the rise in infections and protect people's health and security, the Health and Agriculture Ministries have demanded the strengthening of vaccination work and that all dogs be inoculated," it added.

It did not say how much the push would cost, nor provide details on how the order would be enforced. Once banned as a bourgeois extravagance in China's Communist heyday, pet ownership has shot up since economic reforms began in the late 1970s.

The Government tries to enforce a "one-dog policy" in cities and a size requirement that bans large dogs, saying one of the reasons is to keep a lid on rabies.

But it has come under criticism for cruelly removing pets from owners and arbitrary application of rules.
AAP