Rabies scare puts tribal area under surveillance

17-year-old girl, with no instance of dog bite, dies

The Health Department has put a tribal area in Piravanthur under close surveillance after a 17-year-old girl from there died of rabies, triggering panic among the residents.

Reportedly, the victim was first taken to a local medical facility when she developed disorientation and later she was brought dead to a hospital. Her pathological autopsy revealed the presence of negri bodies, showing the girl was infected with rabies. “A team from Health Department visited the area and it was also decided to vaccinate all close contacts. Since the victim had said she was not bitten or mauled by any dog, she must have contracted the infection through an open wound. On Sunday, we vaccinated 27 persons,” said Deputy DMO Dr. R. Sandhya.