Gujarat: 2 die after being bitten by stray rabid dog, five under treatment

Among the seven other victims are a two-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl. Villagers killed the stray dog on the same day after it attacked people.

Health officials said that of the two deceased victims, Shardasinh, sought the help of a “tantrik” while she was being treated for hydrophobia at the civil hospital.

“A stray dog developed hydrophobia and attacked seven people in the village. All of them were given vaccination at the Morva Hadaf Taluka primary health care centre the same day. In case of dog bites, six vaccinations are given at an interval of 4-5 days each. Shardaben and Yuvraj were given three doses till now,” SK Mod, district health officer, Panchmahal.

“On August 25, Shardaben was admitted to the civil hospital after her condition deteriorated and she was diagnosed with hydrophobia. She was then referred to the SSG Hospital in Vadodara but she didn’t go to the hospital and returned home.

According to her family members, she sought the help of a tantrik for treatment in the past two days. The wounds on Sharda were deep and few of her muscles were also ruptured. On Tuesday, she succumbed to hydrophobia. Meanwhile, Yuvraj was also given three doses of vaccination and he was later admitted to Ghanshyam Hospital in Godhra where he died,” the health officer added.

After two deaths, the local administration has decided to conduct a drive in Dangariya village to look for other dog bite victims, if any.

“Our team has again reached Dangaria village for a survey to ensure that vaccination is being provided to all those were bitten by the dog. We reached out to all the families in the village. Illiteracy and superstitions are also the reason why villagers don’t often realise the urgency in treatment of rabies. We will ensure that the remaining five victims are given full dosage of vaccines. They have been asked to return home now,” said Dr SG Jain, health officer, Morva Hadaf Taluka, PanchMahal.

The veterinary department will also carry out a vaccination drive for dogs in the rural area of Panchmahal from Thursday.

“We will also hold a campaign to spread awareness on hydrophobia. Sharda could have been saved had she continued with medical treatment,” said SK Mod.