Lahore among rabies hotspots

Thousands of cases registered annually

LAHORE:

The metropolis has emerged as one of rabies hotspots with thousands of residents seeking treatment every year.

According to sources, an 18 years old rabies patient has died at Mayo Hospital, while another has been admitted to the isolation ward.

The teenager, Zain Ali, died after developing severe rabies symptoms, including hydrophobia, anxiety, muscle spasms and neurological complications.

Hospital officials said he had been brought to the hospital after his condition had worsened critically.

Doctors stated that once rabies symptoms appear, the chances of survival become low, making the disease one of the deadliest viral infections in the world.

The other suspected rabies patient, Samar Abbas, was admitted to the Mayo Hospital Isolation Ward.

The sources said the patient had been attacked by a stray dog nearly two weeks ago in Shahdara's area of Imamia Colony. He had suffered injuries to his face.

Health officials said the patient was under close medical observation because facial dog bites are considered extremely dangerous due to the shorter transmission route to the brain.

The cases at one of Lahore's largest hospitals have reignited concerns over the effectiveness of government operations to curb the threat posed by stray dogs.

According to provincial health department data, Punjab has witnessed a surge in dog bite incidents over the past two years.

The figures show that more than 514,000 dog bite cases were reported across the province between January 2024 and March this year.

In 2024, authorities documented over 232,000 cases, while the figure rose last year to approximately 243,000 incidents.

During the first quarter of the ongoing year, 38,586 cases of dog bite were officially registered.

Lahore has emerged as one of the hotspots with thousands of residents seeking rabies treatment every year.

Dera Ghazi Khan, Chakwal, Narowal, Faisalabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur and Muzaffargarh have also witnessed large numbers of cases.

Public health specialists warn that the actual number is likely to be higher because many such incidents in rural areas go unreported.