Rabies claims another life as boy battles infection

Two months after a dog bite went untreated, a 12-year-old boy from Hyderabad is now battling suspected rabies encephalitis in Karachi, as the deadly disease continues to claim lives across Sindh.

The boy's case comes as a 38-year-old man from Tharparkar succumbed to rabies at Indus Hospital Karachi, despite receiving four doses of the anti-rabies vaccine. His death has pushed the province's toll from the fatal disease to 38 this year.

The two cases underscore the persistent threat posed by dog bites and the critical importance of timely medical care, including proper wound cleaning and appropriate post-exposure treatment.

Of the 38 deaths reported this year, 29 occurred at Indus Hospital Karachi, eight at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and one at Indus Hospital Badin.

According to JPMC's administration, the boy was brought to the emergency department with hydrophobia and irritability. He had been bitten by a dog on his hand and chest around two months ago but had not received the rabies vaccine following the attack.

A neuromedicine team was called in after doctors suspected rabies encephalitis. The boy was administered the first dose of the vaccine in the emergency department and is being admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for further treatment and monitoring, hospital officials said.

JPMC Chief Medical Officer Dr Ammar Danish said the government had launched awareness campaigns and various programmes to prevent rabies, but public awareness remained inadequate.

He said the stray dog population was growing, while dog-bite incidents were also increasing rapidly. Raising public awareness and ensuring compliance with preventive measures were essential to saving lives, he added.

Dr Danish advised citizens to immediately wash dog-bite or scratch wounds thoroughly with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical attention at the nearest hospital without delay.

He stressed that rabies vaccination and, where medically indicated, rabies immunoglobulin were essential to prevent the disease. People should avoid applying chilli, oil or other home remedies to wounds and must seek treatment without waiting for symptoms to appear, he added.

Meanwhile, an Indus Hospital Karachi spokesperson said the deceased, identified as Naimatullah, 38, belonged to Nohriyo village in Diplo tehsil of Tharparkar district.

Naimatullah had been bitten by a dog around two and a half months ago. He received four doses of the rabies vaccine at the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Diplo between July 25 and August 8.

He was admitted to Indus Hospital Karachi on October 7 after developing rabies symptoms. An initial medical assessment indicated that the wound had not been properly cleaned, hospital officials said. The patient subsequently died.

According to the spokesperson, more than 15,000 dog-bite patients have been brought to Indus Hospital Karachi this year, while the number of rabies deaths at the facility has reached 29.

One rabies death has also been reported at Indus Hospital Badin this year, while JPMC Karachi has recorded eight fatalities, taking Sindh's overall rabies death toll to 38.