A 42-year-old man from Karachi’s Garden area has died of rabies while receiving treatment at Indus Hospital, nearly a month after being bitten by a suspected rabid stray dog. The patient was admitted with symptoms such as fever, anxiety, and hydrophobia, but his condition worsened rapidly, leading to his death late at night.
In a significant development, this fatality highlights ongoing concerns about the local government’s inability to control the increasing number of stray dog bites in the city. Since January 2026, Indus Hospital has treated over 5,000 dog bite victims, providing timely medical care to prevent rabies infection. Despite these efforts, at least five patients who developed rabies symptoms have died, underscoring the disease’s deadly nature once symptoms manifest.
Health experts emphasize the importance of immediate and complete post-exposure treatment to prevent rabies. The rise in dog bite and rabies cases, particularly in Sindh and Karachi, has prompted health authorities to urge the public to seek urgent medical attention after any dog bite incident.
Rabies is a viral infection that attacks the central nervous system, potentially causing encephalitis, paralysis, and death if untreated. It is primarily transmitted through the bite of an infected animal. Experts stress that rabies is preventable with prompt post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which involves thorough wound cleaning, a full course of rabies vaccination, and, when necessary, administration of rabies immunoglobulin (RIG).
