Four-year-old girl in Karnataka dies of rabies after multiple dog bites

DAVANAGERE: A four-year-old girl, who received multiple dog bites, died of rabies, Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (IGICH), Bengaluru, director, Dr Sanjay K S, said on Tuesday.

The victim, Khadeera Banu, passed away on Sunday after being treated for the last four months, he added.

Banu, a resident of Shastri Layout in Davanagere, was attacked on April 27 while playing outside her house.

She was admitted to a local private hospital with multiple dog bites on her face and body.

According to Dr Sanjay, she was referred to IGICH in May when her condition worsened.

"She was admitted in the ICU here and after tests, rabies was confirmed due to the presence of antibodies," said the director.

The girl was discharged for home care after about a month once her condition was stable, he added.

She was brought in again in August and was unresponsive, requiring emergency intubation, he said.

According to him, it was a case of dumb rabies, where the disease causes paralysis and not aggression.

Responding to various news reports that the family had spent nearly Rs 8 lakh on treatment, the IGICH director said, in Bengaluru, the family was not charged.

"It is quite possible that they have spent a lot of money in the private hospital in Davanagere," he said.

The girl's father is a street vendor and her mother is a homemaker.