Indore labourer dies in govt hospital 3 months after being bitten by stray dog

Indore, Sep 8 (PTI) A 42-year-old homeless labourer has died of suspected rabies at a government hospital in Indore, three months after he was bitten by a stray dog, officials said on Monday.

The labourer, Govind Pewal, was severely bitten on the lip by a stray dog in the Juni Indore area three months ago, when he was sleeping under a flyover. He was admitted to state-run Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital (MYH) on September 5 after his condition worsened, said a health department official.

Pewal faced difficulty in swallowing food and displayed signs of hydrophobia (fear of water) and aerophobia (fear of drafts or of fresh air). Despite medical efforts by doctors, he succumbed at MYH on Sunday, he said.

Following his death, the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC)'s claim of vaccination drives for stray dogs has come under the scanner.

The district administration stated that it appears the victim did not complete the full course of rabies treatment.

"We have learnt that this person (Pewal) possibly did not complete the full course of treatment after the dog bite. Further steps will be taken on the basis of facts emerging from an inquiry," District Collector Ashish Singh said.

He insisted sterilisation of stray dogs had been expedited in recent months to control their population and added a headcount of such canines would be carried out with the help of an agency in the next two months.

Pewal's wife Sangeeta said her husband was bitten by a stray dog three months ago while he was sleeping under a flyover.

"The dog's sharp teeth pierced through his lip," she added.

The couple, along with their three children, had been living under the flyover after being forced to vacate their rented room due to financial difficulties.

"My husband started behaving strangely since September 5. Doctors had told us that the rabies infection had spread so much in his body that it was difficult to save him," Sangeeta said.

According to experts, initial symptoms of rabies, a viral disease, include signs like fever, pain and unexplained tingling, pricking, or burning sensations at the wound site. As the virus moves to the central nervous system, progressive and fatal inflammation of the brain and spinal cord develop. PTI HWP LAL RSY