Ghaziabad boy dies of rabies months after hiding dog bite
A 14-year-old boy from Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, Shahvaz, succumbed to rabies on Monday after being bitten by a dog around two months ago. He had reportedly hidden the incident from his parents for fear of being scolded. The police have registered an FIR against a family in the neighborhood that allegedly domesticated the dog that bit Shahvaz. The Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation has also issued a notice to them for keeping dogs in an "unauthorized" manner.
Shahvaz developed fear of water, wind, made loud noises
Shahvaz's grandfather Matlub Ahmed said the kid, a Class 8 student, began showing symptoms of rabies four days after being bitten, India Today reported. He developed a fear of water and wind, began staying in the dark, and made loud noises. Kotwali Nagar Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Nimish Patil said the boy couldn't be treated since nobody was aware of the incident. The family learned about it once the symptoms began surfacing.
Died in ambulance
After noticing symptoms, the family took Shahvaz to several hospitals in Ghaziabad, Meerut, and Delhi but he wasn't admitted for treatment. Following this, they took the kid to an Ayurvedic doctor in Bulandshahr, but he died while returning home in an ambulance. A heart-rending video of his final moments showed him writhing in pain in the arms of his father, Yakub, who seemed inconsolable.
Municipal body's notice to dog owners
The Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation's notice to the accused stated that they had kept the dogs in an "unauthorized" manner and they kept barking. The civic body asked whether the dogs were registered with it and vaccinated. They have been given three days to respond to the notice with the dogs' registration details, failing which they will be fined Rs. 5,000.
What does the FIR say
The FIR states that the accused family has domesticated six to seven unvaccinated dogs who roam outside and often bite kids. When residents complain about it to the accused, Sunita, her kids Akash and Shivani, and another woman named Rashi—who claims to be the head of a dog welfare group—they make false accusations against the complainants. After a dog bit Shahvaz, his family complained to the accused, who claimed that the dogs were vaccinated.
India accounts for 36% of global rabies deaths
Over the past year, several incidents of dogs mauling kids and adults made headlines, highlighting the need for the canines to be vaccinated and treated properly to prevent them from biting others. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates show that every year, around 20,000 people in India die of rabies, accounting for 36% of global rabies deaths. Around 30-60% of cases of dog bites and rabies occur in kids under 15.
