5-year-old girl dies of rabies despite four doses of anti-rabies vaccine

The child died despite having received four doses of the anti-rabies vaccine, said her family members.

THANE: A five-year-old girl died of rabies on Sunday, nearly a month after she was bitten by a stray dog in Diva. The child died despite having received four doses of the anti-rabies vaccine, said her family members.

5-year-old girl dies of rabies despite four doses of anti-rabies vaccine

According to her family, the deceased, Nisha Shinde, a resident of Saibaba Nagar on Agasan Road in Diva, was bitten on the shoulder by a stray dog around 9:30 pm on November 17 while playing outside her home.

She was immediately taken to the Shastri Nagar Government Hospital in Dombivli, where doctors administered the first dose of the anti-rabies vaccine. She later received three more doses on November 20, November 24 and December 15.

According to her uncle, Devendra Kadam, the child’s condition deteriorated after the fourth dose. “We took her back to Shastri Nagar Hospital, where doctors informed us that she had developed rabies and referred us to Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai for advanced treatment,” Kadam told HT. “Doctors there said she could not be saved and she eventually passed away on December 21,” he added.

The family has raised serious concerns about the treatment provided at the Dombivli hospital and demanded urgent steps to control the stray dog population to prevent similar tragedies.

A social worker from Diva, Rohidas Munde, who has been raising the issues of the stray dog menace in and around Diva, said, “There must be a strict and impartial government inquiry. Dog bite cases have become frequent in Diva, creating fear among children, senior citizens and adults. The authorities must take strict action against the stray dogs and let us live fearlessly.”

Explaining the science behind dog bites and rabies vaccines, Dr Ashok Bhosale, veterinary microbiologist and professor at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (COVAS), said the outcome of a dog bite depends on whether the animal is rabid and the location of the bite. Dr. Bhosale has done extensive research on the subject of rabies and dog bites and published papers on this subject. He said that if someone contracts rabies and symptoms start to appear, no medical science can save the patient. “If the bite is closer to the brain, the virus reaches there faster. Rabies symptoms usually appear within 14 days, and along with anti-rabies vaccines, Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG) must also be administered immediately. In this case, it appears RIG was not given,” Dr Bhosale said.

However, Dr Deepa Shukla, health officer of the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), said hospital records show that the child was given both the anti-rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin on November 18 at around 1 am, followed by three additional doses. “We are concerned about how she got infected with rabies despite following the correct procedure. We are awaiting reports from the Kasturba Hospital and after analysing the report, we will find out the reason for her death,” Dr Shukla added.

Dr Prasad Patil, health officer of Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) said they are collecting details of the case since she was treated at a hospital in Dombivli. He said they will be able to comment on the course of treatment only after reviewing the medical reports and vaccination record.

Patil added that TMC has intensified its stray dog control measures in line with the Supreme Court directives. “In the last 10 days, 570 stray dogs have been vaccinated. A total of 1,289 sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals and sports complexes have been identified. Stray dogs from these areas will be captured, vaccinated, sterilised and relocated to shelters on priority basis. One acre of land has been allotted at Bhayanderpada on Ghodbunder Road to set up a shelter home with a capacity of 400–500 dogs, and tenders have already been issued,” said Patil.