31-year-old Tirunelveli man dies of rabies four months after bite
The deceased victim, Ayappan, a resident of Sankanapuram, Vallioor taluk, Tirunelveli district, was bitten by a dog four months ago
MADURAI: A 31-year-old Tirunelveli man died of rabies in a hospital in Kanniyakumari on Monday, according to the sources.
The deceased victim, Ayappan, a resident of Sankanapuram, Vallioor taluk, Tirunelveli district, was bitten by a dog four months ago. He was admitted to Kanniyakumari Government Medical College Hospital on Sunday and was declared dead on Monday, sources said on Wednesday.
Tirunelveli District Health Officer M Vijay Chandran, when contacted, said the victim on Sunday evening approached Sankanapuram Primary Health Centre with complaints of headache and fever. He felt tired and had an aversion to drinking water, and therefore, it was confirmed as a case of rabies. However, he died despite the treatment.
Meanwhile, Dr Chandran said adequate stock of anti-rabies vaccine and necessary medicines are available in all PHCs, eight taluk hospitals and a medical college hospital, but dog bite victims are taking treatment requirements lightly without realising the severity. As many as 2,850 doses of ARV are available in all PHCs in the district, he noted.
More importantly, he said four doses of anti-rabies vaccination are mandatory for a victim to save his or her life. Vaccinations must be done initially, on the day of the dog bite, and then next on the seventh day and finally on the 28th day after the incident, he explained.
"Life is precious, and every minute is valuable; therefore, people should be more aware and cautious about the rabies vaccination cycle, and complete it on time," Dr Chandran said.
The sources further said, "As per the analysis, about 99 per cent of the dog bite victims under the categories of one and two approach hospitals and get vaccinated. However, the number reduces to 65 per cent and 30 per cent when it comes to the third and fourth categories." Sources added that the number of rabies-related deaths is above the average this year in the State. The annual average for rabies deaths is about eight or nine, but it has hit twenty this year so far, sources added.