RANIPET: After being bitten by a stray dog around two years ago, an 18-year-old youth from Arakkonam died of rabies early on Sunday at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai.
According to the Arakkonam Town Police, the victim, J Diva of Balaji Nagar in Mosur village, was the only son of Jambulingam and Baby, both daily-wage farm labourers. He had completed Class 12 at the Mosur Government School.
According to experts, the incubation period for the rabies virus — the time taken for the infection to show its symptoms — can vary widely from days to even a few years, depending on the bite location and viral load.
The Joint Director of Health Services in Ranipet said that Diva was initially taken to the Arakkonam GH on Saturday evening with complaints of fever for the past two days.
Rabies symptoms can appear few yrs after bite: Official
Official sources said it is unclear if the boy was entirely unvaccinated for the bite or if he had failed to complete the full vaccination course.
“While examining the youth, doctors found that he was disoriented. On learning about his history of a stray dog bite around two years ago, they suspected rabies-related brain fever and referred him to the Tiruvallur GH. He was diagnosed with rabies there and later referred to the Rajiv Gandhi Hospital,” the official told TNIE.
Health officials said Diva was fond of playing with stray dogs and had often been seen doing so. “Even the attendants were not sure when exactly the bite had occurred. We believe the youth did not inform anyone or take it seriously. Proper vaccination is crucial, as rabies symptoms can appear even a few years after the bite,” the official said.
Public health expert and former Director of Public Health Dr K Kolandaswamy said the incubation period of the virus can be from 10 days to a few years. In the instant case, two reasons are scientifically possible — the boy would have been bitten or licked by a dog again, or the virus from the first bite would have been trapped in the healed wound, and it may have been activated again due to an injury in the same place — he said.
(With inputs from Sinduja Jane @ Chennai)