Rabies treatment delay 'costs lives'

Patient with dog bite on face dies in Mayo Hospital

LAHORE:

Rabies, one of the world's deadliest but preventable viral diseases, has claimed a life in Lahore after a 51 year-old man, Fareedullah died at Mayo Hospital following complications caused by a dog bite.

Health experts raised concerns about awareness, a growing stray dog population and the availability of timely treatment of the disease in the province.

Hospital sources confirmed that the deceased had been admitted after developing symptoms of rabies. Laboratory tests confirmed that he was infected with the virus. Despite intensive medical care, his condition continued to deteriorate and he passed away, doctors said.

They said the patient had suffered a dog bite on his face, one of the most dangerous body parts for rabies transmission because the virus can reach the brain rapidly.

Health experts say bites on the face, head and neck require immediate wound washing, rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin to reduce the risk of infection.

The death came a few days days after another elderly patient had reportedly died from rabies at the same hospital.

Medical experts describe rabies as an almost fatal disease once clinical symptoms appear. However, it is preventable if victims receive immediate treatment after a dog bite.

Doctors urged the people not to ignore even minor animal bites and to seek emergency medical care. Official data presented before the Lahore High Court last year had revealed that the Mayo Hospital alone treated 1,796 dog bite victims within a 14-month period, illustrating the heavy burden on the healthcare system.

Available provincial record also indicates that Punjab has witnessed an increase in dog bite incidents over recent years. Reports show that more than 1.3 million dog bite cases were recorded between 2021 and March this year, including 150,000 during the first half of 2025.

Public health specialists say Pakistan remains among the countries with a significant rabies burden with the disease continuing to claim lives every year, mainly because victims do not receive treatment in time or fail to complete the full vaccination schedule.

The experts also stressed stray dog control programmes, uninterrupted supply of vaccines and immunoglobulin at government hospitals, and awareness campaigns about immediate treatment after dog bites.

Officials advised that every dog bite victim should immediately wash the wound thoroughly with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes before reaching the nearest health facility. They stressed that delaying treatment could prove fatal because, once rabies symptoms developed, there was virtually no effective cure.

The Punjab health authorities have not yet released a cumulative figure for rabies deaths for the current year.

A local social worker, Ansa Butt, said, "Stray dogs are roaming in the streets of Lahore, even in the posh areas, and the issue is serious in many cities. In a number of cases, children have died due to dog bites. It is important that the hospitals at the tehsil level should be provided anti-rabies medicines."

The social worker urged the government to take steps to protect children from stray dogs when the schools reopen later this month after summer holidays.