An eight-year-old girl from Jhol in Sanghar district has died after contracting rabies. This is the first confirmed rabies case in Sindh of 2026. This is really tragic and alarming at the same time as it shows clearly that dog-bite management has serious gaps, they need to work on both dog bite and post-exposure treatment. It has also raised questions about public awareness and vaccine availability in rural areas.
Doctors at Indus Hospital Karachi confirmed that the child was bitten by a stray dog around one-and-a-half months ago. She suffered multiple deep wounds on her body. Her condition worsened despite initial treatment at several public health facilities. The hospital said her vaccination was incomplete and improperly administered. This left her unprotected against the deadly virus.
Incomplete Treatment Leads to Fatal Rabies
Health experts said the child received partial post-exposure treatment. However, the care was not enough to prevent rabies. She developed hydrophobia and aerophobia, key signs of advanced rabies encephalitis. These symptoms indicate that the virus had reached a final, irreversible stage. Once symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal.
Dr. Gohar Aftab, in-charge of the Dog Bite Clinic at Indus Hospital, confirmed the girl was shifted to Karachi yesterday. She was given palliative care, but her condition was beyond recovery. Doctors stressed that rabies can be prevented if correct steps are taken immediately after a dog bite.
Systemic Failures and Rising Dog Bite Cases
The Sindh government has already recorded more than 3,000 dog bite cases this month. Experts fear that more rabies cases may appear soon. Last year, 21 people died of rabies in Sindh. The province also reported over 60,000 dog bite cases. Most victims came from low-income and rural areas. These regions often lack access to emergency care and rabies immunoglobulin.
Public health specialists warned that the child’s death reflects a systemic failure. They said many victims do not receive proper care. Often, patients are given only antibiotics or tetanus shots. Critical steps like wound washing, full vaccination, and immunoglobulin are missed. In many cases, victims move between multiple hospitals without proper records or continuity of treatment.
Experts say rabies is 100% fatal but also 100% preventable. The only way to stop deaths is through early and correct post-bite treatment. They urged authorities to improve dog-bite management and ensure vaccine availability at public hospitals.
Calls for Action and Public Awareness
Doctors have asked the government to launch strong awareness campaigns. They want communities to know the correct first steps after a dog bite. These include washing the wound with soap and water for at least 15 minutes. They also demand timely and complete rabies vaccination and immunoglobulin for severe cases.
Infectious disease specialists stressed that the system must act fast. “The tragedy is that this child did everything late because the system failed her,” said a senior expert. “Once symptoms appear, nothing can be done. Immediate and correct treatment after a dog bite is the only chance to save lives.”
