Woman gets rabies 20 days after dog bite

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 29

A migrant woman, residing in Basti Bawa Khel, has got infected with rabies around 20 days after she was bitten by a stray dog which was probably suffering from the disease.

The family of Zaira, the victim, said she started getting scared of water on Tuesday and suddenly started losing control of herself. The problem started intensifying gradually. When they took her to the Civil Hospital, the doctors said she had hydrophobia, one of the symptoms of rabies.

Her husband, Nijabban, said he felt some changes in her behaviour on Monday night, but he ignored it. Yet, by morning, she started behaving like an abnormal.

Speaking to Jalandhar Tribune, Dr Raj Kumar of Civil Hospital, said, “She had got rabies. We referred her to Guru Nanak Dev Medical Hospital in Amritsar for further treatment as we don’t have facilities for the same.”

Dr Ram Sarup Sharma, medical superintendent of Guru Nanak Dev Medical Hospital, said, “Since rabies has no treatment, therefore, we let the patient die of his/her own death. The patient dies within 72 hours after he/she shows symptoms. We got a patient yesterday. I cannot disclose the exact condition of the patient.”