KARACHI: A 42-year-old man has died of rabies while receiving treatment at Indus Hospital after being bitten by a suspected rabid stray dog, hospital officials confirmed on Saturday.
According to a spokesperson for Indus Hospital, the man was a resident of the Garden area and died nearly a month after the dog bite.
He was admitted to the hospital with symptoms including fever, anxiety, and hydrophobia. His condition worsened quickly, and he passed away shortly after arriving late at night.
The death highlights the local government’s inability to protect citizens amid a rise in stray dog bites.
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Officials stated that more than 5,000 dog bite victims have been treated at Indus Hospital since January 2026. However, at least five patients who developed rabies symptoms also died, showing the disease’s deadly nature once symptoms appear.
Health experts emphasize that immediate and complete post-exposure treatment is critical to prevent rabies.
Dog bite and rabies cases have been increasing in Sindh, particularly in Karachi. Health authorities have urged the public not to ignore dog bites and to seek medical care without delay.
Rabies is a viral disease that attacks the central nervous system and can cause encephalitis, paralysis, and death if left untreated. It is mainly transmitted through the bite of an infected animal.
Experts stress that rabies can be prevented with prompt post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which includes proper wound cleaning, a full course of rabies vaccination, and, when necessary, administration of rabies immunoglobulin (RIG).