Hyderabad: A three-year-old boy from Beerpur in Karimnagar died of rabies on Saturday, almost two months after being bitten by a dog. Police said that while trying to escape from the stray animal on July 5, the child fell into a drainage ditch. Believing his wounds were from the fall, the family gave him only basic first aid, unaware of the dog bite.The boy’s death has once again brought focus on the growing menace of dog bites, with city hospitals reporting 300 to 350 such cases every day. The state-run Fever Hospital, Nallakunta, is treating around 200 to 250 patients daily, while the Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM), Narayanaguda, is receiving 100 to 150 cases. Niloufer Hospital is also recording several paediatric cases.Doctors say patients come from all age groups, but a significant number are children. “Almost every day, hundreds of stray dog bite cases are reported. Some involve pet dogs too,” said a staff nurse at the Fever Hospital. “Three to four rabies cases are also reported every month. Many patients contract rabies as they fail to complete the full course of vaccines after a dog bite. In Hyderabad, most cases come from Old City and nearby rural areas.“The problem turned fatal recently when a three-year-old boy from Karimnagar died. He had been bitten nearly two months ago but did not receive the anti-rabies vaccine.According to a 2023 survey by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and an NGO, Hyderabad has around 3.9 to 4 lakh stray dogs. Nearly 75,000 were not sterilised, which has contributed to an increase of 1.5 to 2 lakh stray dogs over the past two years.Doctors warn that while most injuries are minor or moderate, some are severe. “We are seeing category-3 wounds that cause heavy bleeding,” said Dr Rajendra Prasad, superintendent of the Fever Hospital. “Treatment includes rabies immune globulin (RIG) and vaccinations. RIG is available only at the fever hospital, but initial vaccines are available at IPM and primary health centres (PHC) across the city.”Private hospitals are also handling such cases. “We receive around 10 to 15 cases a week,” said Dr Venkat Nani Kumar, consultant general medicine, Apollo Hospitals. “Timely vaccination, preferably on the first day, is critical. Once a person develops rabies, nothing can be done. People should complete the vaccine doses, and sterilisation of dogs should be done regularly.”The GHMC has intensified its animal birth control and anti-rabies programme. “Over 80% of stray dogs in Hyderabad have been sterilised. Ear notching indicates a sterilised dog,” said a GHMC veterinary doctor. “We vaccinate and release sterilised dogs. Non-sterilised dogs are brought to our centres. The programme will be completed once every stray dog is sterilised and vaccinated.”
