KRISHNAGIRI: The death of a 24-year-old man on Thursday at the Krishnagiri District Government Headquarters Hospital at Hosur raised fears of rabies but health authorities attested he died of a defective heart condition.
Krishnagiri district Collector C Dinesh Kumar also ruled out rabies but advanced tests will be conducted for further confirmation. The deceased was V Edwin, a private company employee. He was a resident of Thinnur village near Thalli. He didn't report remembering any bite from dog but it is not known if he had risked it from other animals. The rabies scare arose after a private hospital and a PHC where he had approached had recorded his case as 'suspected rabies'.
Krishnagiri District Health Officer Dr G Ramesh Kumar said "Edwin initially went to the Kakkadhasam Primary Health Centre with the complaints of body pain, throat pain and fever around 3.30 pm on Wednesday. There he was treated and he left home, but by evening he went to a private hospital at Thalli with difficulty in breathing and swallowing. Here his condition was recorded as suspected rabies but he didn't have history of a dog bite. Three bottles of IV fluid were administered to him."
Thereafter, Edwin went to the Thalli Primary Health Centre where he was nebulised. The duty doctor here too noted it as suspected rabies but recorded Edwin has a history of dog bite and he was referred to the Hosur GH, Dr Ramesh Kumar added.
When Edwin reached Hosur he was treated for some time but he died without responding to any treatment," he further said. Citing an ECG report from a private hospital in Thalli, Dr Ramesh Kumar claimed Edwin had left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and pulmonary edema. (LVH is a condition in which the muscular wall of the heart's left ventricle thickens, leading to ineffective pumping of blood.) Rabies death has been ruled based on the initial field inquiry by the health authorities; however Edwin's bio-sample will be sent to NIMHANS for RT-PCR tests, the health officer said. Health department sources said departmental action will be taken against Thalli PHC doctor who wrongly diagnosed the issue. Autopsy conducted on Thursday revealed Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and Pulmonary Edema, the sources added. Meanwhile Anti-Rabies Vaccine was administered on Thursday morning to about 20 people who were near Edwin's body at the Hosur government hospital. Police, health department staff and a few reporters were among the recipients.