Don8217;t neglect that dog bite

8220;When Kaustubh was brought here, he had acute symptoms of rabies,8221; says Dr Ramchandra Pote. He was scared of water 8211; he would not drink it and whenever there was a breeze, the boy trembled with fear. Restlessness and convulsions followed even as Kaustubh was put on the drip. 8220;It was impossible to give him water, so we did not do that. Instead the patient was put on IV fluid and sedation.8221; By then it had been a month since Kaustubh had been bitten. 8220;When we started treating him, the bite wound had healed completely,8221; adds Dr Pote. No precautions were taken by Gandhi and his family. Most do not take a dog bite on the hand very seriously. A bite on the chest, face or neck that evokes more concern.

Kaustubh was admitted to the hospital at 12 noon on November 27 and by 2.30 p m the next day he was dead. 8220;While anti-rabies vaccination within 48 hours ensures the well-being of the patient, if the patient develops Frank Rabies, 100 per cent, there is no cure for it,8221; he says.

While Government hospitals still offer the 14 painful abdominal injections, the more sophisticated dose of five intra-muscular injections is available at private hospitals. Kaustubh died of cardio respiratory failure. Doctors are using his death as a warning to others. Dogs, cats, monkeys, jackals and other wild animals can be rabid. A rabid animal does not live beyond 15 days.