Two die of rabies in Karachi within two days

8 deaths have been reported at JPMC so far this year

KARACHI:

Two persons, including an 11-year-old boy, died of rabies in the metropolis within two days, as more than 30,000 dog-bite cases have been reported in the city this year.

The 24-year-old Shahryar, a resident of Qayyumabad, died of rabies encephalitis at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) on Thursday, while an 11-year-old boy from Sanghar died at the hospital on Friday morning.

According to the JPMC administration, both victims had been bitten by dogs but did not receive post-exposure rabies vaccination.

Shahryar was bitten by a dog about a month ago but did not receive the vaccine. He was later brought to JPMC after developing symptoms of rabies encephalitis and died during treatment.

The 11-year-old boy, a resident of Sanghar, had been under treatment at JPMC for the past two days. He had been bitten by a dog about four months ago but did not receive rabies vaccination following the incident.

JPMC Assistant Professor Dr Sanobar Sikandar said eight rabies-related deaths had been reported at the hospital so far this year.

She stressed the importance of immediately washing a dog-bite wound thoroughly with soap and running water and receiving rabies vaccination without delay.