Chennai, Aug 14 : A four-year-boy, who was bitten by a stray dog on June 27, died of suspected rabies on Wednesday.

The boy, Nirmal hailing from Arkonam in Ranipet district of Tamil Nadu, was bitten by a stray dog while he was playing in the street near to his home.

He was admitted to Chengalpattu Government Medical College Hospital ever since. However he did not show any improvement during his stay in the hospital and passed away in the wee hours of Wednesday.

According to Tamil Nadu Public Health records, 22 people died of rabies while 2.42 lakh dog bite cases were reported from the state till June. However in 2023, there were only 18 deaths due to rabies but the state reported 4.43 lakh dog bite cases.

In 2023, two of the major government hospitals in the city -- Government Stanley Medical College Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) -- treated at least 5,500-6,000 persons for dog bites. The numbers have been quite consistent over the last few years, say doctors.

A study conducted by the Tamil Nadu government 'Rabies Elimination in Tamil Nadu - Where Do We Stand' found that more than half of the persons who died of rabies from 2018 to 2022 in Tamil Nadu did not get vaccinated against rabies. In fact, an analysis of these deaths showed that pet dogs were the major source of infection.

Public Health department director Dr Selvavinayagam wrote a letter to all the district health officials, asking them to maintain at least 20 vials of anti-rabies vaccine in all Primary Health Centres (PHC) and City Health Centres (CHC) during any point of time.

Rabies as per the World Health Organisation (WHO) is a vaccine -preventable, zoonotic, viral disease affecting the central nervous system. The disease spreads to people and animals through saliva -usually through bites, scratches or direct contact witt mucosa. After clinical symptoms appear, the disease is hundred per cent fatal.

It may be noted that the incubation period of rabies is typically 2-3 months but may vary from one week to one year.

/IANS