Srinagar, Aug 10: In a fresh spate of stray rabid dog bites, a four year old child died after being bitten by a canine in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
 The deceased child Sehrab son of Shamim Ahmad Wagay of Panzgam was bitten on his ear on July 23. The patient was admitted at SMHS hospital on Tuesday and breathed his last same day.
 His family said that the day he was bitten, they had immediately rushed him to Health centre Bijebehara. The doctors had prescribed some anti rabies vaccine that time. “Among them only four doses were given to him. The fifth one was yet to be administered,” family members said.  
 The doctors who attended upon the patient at SMHS hospital said that the victim was suffering from fever and aerophobia, fear of air besides frothing from mouth. However, the patient died same day in the hospital. 
 “After preliminary check-up, we diagnosed the patient was suffering from fever and aerophobia, fear of air and frothing from mouth. It was clearly suggestive of rabies,” the doctors said.
 Doctors in the social and preventive medicine ward of SMHS said that they come across such cases frequently. On an average, they said that around fifteen cases of dog bites are received by SMHS everyday. According to estimate, Srinagar city alone is home to 2 lakh stray dogs.
 “What is required to treat such patients is rabies immunoglobulin. Unfortunately this is not available in any Government hospitals of the valley. It can tackle such cases,” doctors said.
 They said that they categorize dog bites in three classes; “First it is just touch, the second one is scratches without blood, and the third is multiple injuries with oozing of blood. The third one is quite dreadful for which rabies immunoglobulin is required to treat a patient. This is available in market but not hospitals,” they said.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 10 Aug 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 10 Aug 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 IST