Kabaddi player Brijesh Solanki, 22, dies of rabies weeks after puppy he saved bit him

State gold medallist Brijesh Solanki, a Pro Kabaddi League hopeful, had not taken the rabies vaccine; symptoms appeared just days before his death.

Brijesh Solanki, a 22-year-old state-level Kabaddi player from Uttar Pradesh, reportedly died of rabies weeks after he was allegedly bitten by a stray puppy he had rescued from a drain.

Following Brijesh Solanki's death on Sunday, health officials visited the village on Monday. They vaccinated 29 residents and launched a rabies awareness campaign. (X)

A gold medallist in state championships and a hopeful for the Pro Kabaddi League, Brijesh had not received an anti-rabies vaccine after the stray puppy bit him, the Times of India reported on Wednesday, quoting officials. Symptoms of the disease began showing only a few days before he passed away.

The youngest of three siblings, Brijesh lived in Farana village.

Following his death, health officials visited the village on Monday. They vaccinated 29 residents and started a campaign to spread awareness about rabies prevention.

Speaking to news agency ANI, his brother Sandeep Kumar said, “He went to practice in the village and got a little bite from a dog after pulling it out of a drain. He did not pay attention to it. We had not heard of a rabies case... The illness after the bite was confirmed in Aligarh Hospital after I reported that he was hesitating in drinking water... I demand from the government that we be provided a job because my brother was the sole breadwinner of the family...”

Brijesh ignored the bite, mistook it to a kabaddi injury

Quoting Brijesh Solanki’s coach, Praveen Kumar, TOI reported that the Kabaddi player mistook his symptoms for a routine sports injury.

“Brijesh mistook the pain in his arm for a regular kabaddi injury. The bite seemed minor and he didn't think it was serious, so he didn't take the vaccine,” he told the outlet.

On June 26, Brijesh began experiencing numbness during practice. He was first taken to a district hospital, but as his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to a private hospital in Noida.

His brother, Sandeep Kumar, shared, “All of a sudden, he was afraid of water and was showing symptoms of rabies, but we were denied treatment at govt hospitals in Khurja, Aligarh and even Delhi. It was only in Noida that doctors confirmed he was likely infected with rabies. Brijesh died on Saturday while we were taking him to a faith healer in Mathura.”

Rabies: all you need to know

Rabies is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system and can be prevented through vaccination, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Rabies is generally not curable once symptoms appear and is almost always fatal in humans once symptoms appear.

It is a zoonotic disease, meaning it spreads from animals to humans. In up to 99 per cent of human rabies cases, dogs are the primary source of transmission. Children aged 5 to 14 are among the most commonly affected.

The virus can infect mammals such as dogs, cats, livestock, and wild animals. It typically spreads through the saliva of infected animals, most often via bites, scratches, or when it comes into contact with mucous membranes like the eyes, mouth, or open wounds.

Symptoms

Rabies typically has an incubation period of two to three months, though it can range from as little as a week to up to a year. This depends on factors like the site of infection and the amount of virus introduced. Early symptoms are often general and may include fever, pain, or unusual sensations such as tingling, pricking, or burning around the wound. As the virus reaches the central nervous system, it causes severe and ultimately fatal inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. While clinical rabies can sometimes be managed, it is almost never cured and usually leaves serious neurological damage.

Rabies appears in two forms:

• Furious rabies is marked by hyperactivity, extreme agitation, hallucinations, poor coordination, and fear of water (hydrophobia) or air (aerophobia). The condition rapidly worsens, with death typically occurring within a few days due to heart and respiratory failure.
• Paralytic rabies, seen in around 20% of cases, progresses more slowly and subtly. Muscle paralysis begins near the bite area and gradually spreads, leading to coma and ultimately death. This form is often misdiagnosed, which contributes to rabies being under-reported.

Prevention

Dog vaccination: Mass vaccination of dogs, including puppies, is the most cost-effective way to prevent rabies in humans, as it targets the virus at its primary source. Simply culling stray dogs does not help control the spread of rabies.

Raising awareness: Educating the public – both children and adults – about how to interact safely with dogs, how to prevent bites, and what steps to take if bitten or scratched by an animal suspected of having rabies is a vital part of rabies prevention. Promoting responsible pet ownership also supports vaccination efforts.

Human vaccination: Safe and effective vaccines are available to protect people from rabies, both as a preventive measure and after potential exposure.