Good Day Readers, Today a disheartening news has come stating that a young girl in Agra succumbed to rabies 15 days after being bitten by a dog, despite her family attempting a “home remedy.” Stay with this article to find out more about this news. The young girl kept the incident within her family, sharing it only with her mother. Her mother initially tried home remedies, but as the girl’s condition worsened. In Agra, Uttar Pradesh, a tragic incident unfolded on Wednesday when an 8-year-old girl named Poonam passed away, two weeks after being bitten by a stray dog.
The attack occurred in the village of Pinahat while she was playing. Dr. AK Srivastava, the Chief Medical Officer in Agra, shared that the girl only confided in her mother about the incident. Instead of receiving the crucial anti-rabies vaccine (ARV), the family attempted home remedies. It was only after 15 days that they sought help at the Community Health Centre when the girl began displaying symptoms. As her condition rapidly deteriorated, they hurriedly took her to a nearby hospital. The medical professionals at that facility recommended transferring her to a larger hospital in Agra, but tragically, she didn’t survive the journey.
Girl Dies of Rabies 15 Days After Dog Bite
Rabies is known for its 100 percent mortality rate, so if you’re bitten, it’s crucial not to keep it to yourself; immediate medical attention is necessary. Fortunately, we have vaccines readily available now,” emphasized CMO Srivastava. Dr. Jitendra Verma, the head of a community health center (CHC) in Agra, also noted that the family disregarded advice to seek hospital treatment for the girl. He explained, “Following a dog bite, the initial dose of ARV should be administered to the victim within 24 hours. Subsequent doses should be given on the third and seventh days, with the final dose administered on the 28th day. Official data reveals that Agra, both in urban and rural areas, witnesses approximately 5,000 cases of dog bites reported each month.
Following exposure to rabies, the virus must travel to the brain before symptoms manifest. This time gap is known as the incubation period, which can extend for weeks to months. The duration of the incubation period may be influenced by several factors, including:
1. The proximity of the exposure site to the brain.
2. The specific type of rabies virus.
3. Any pre-existing immunity.
Initial rabies symptoms can resemble flu-like conditions, such as weakness, discomfort, fever, and headaches. Additionally, there may be sensations of discomfort, tingling, or itching at the bite location, and these symptoms can persist for days. The symptoms then progress to cerebral dysfunction, leading to anxiety, confusion, and agitation. As the disease advances, individuals may experience delirium, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, hydrophobia (fear of water), and insomnia.
The acute phase of the disease typically lasts for 2 to 10 days. Once clinical signs of rabies become evident, the disease is almost invariably fatal, and treatment primarily involves supportive care. There have been very few documented cases of human survival from clinical rabies, with only a small number of survivors having no history of pre- or post-exposure prophylaxis.
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