8-year-old girl was given inadequate treatment at govt hospital after stray dog bit her six weeks ago
KARACHI:
First case of rabies has been reported in Karachi in 2026, as an eight-year-old girl from Sanghar district was diagnosed with the deadly disease on Monday.
The child developed severe rabies symptoms nearly six weeks after she was bitten by a stray dog. She was subsequently shifted to Indus Hospital in Korangi where doctors confirmed the disease.
At the hospital, Rabies Prevention Clinic Manager Aftab Gohar said the child had received inadequate treatment at multiple government hospitals before being referred to Indus. He said that during initial treatment, the wound was not washed, a critical first step in preventing rabies infection.
Hospital officials said the child has now developed clear symptoms such as fear of water and air, indicating that the disease has reached an advanced stage. Medical experts have warned that rabies is almost 100 per cent fatal once symptoms appear.
According to hospital data, 1,500 dog-bite cases have been reported at Indus Hospital so far this year, while Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre has recorded 800 cases. More than 400 dog-bite cases have also been reported at Civil Hospital during the same period.
Statistics show that last year, 19 people lost their lives to rabies at two major hospitals in Karachi. Medical experts have urged the public to take dog bites seriously and seek immediate medical attention.
They advised that in case of a dog bite, the wound should be thoroughly washed with soap and water and complete vaccination should be administered without delay, stressing that rabies becomes fatal once symptoms develop.
