Sindh’s yearly rabies toll climbs to 40
A man in his seventies from Baldia Town died of rabies at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) in Karachi, officials said on Friday, lifting Sindh’s rabies deaths this year to 40. He had been bitten by a dog more than three weeks earlier but did not seek preventive care, they said. He died at JPMC on Thursday.
The case adds to a heavy burden of dog-bite injuries at the same hospital. JPMC has logged more than 11,000 dog-bite cases and 10 rabies deaths this year, counting the latest fatality.
Recent cases across Sindh
Officials and hospital records sit against a wider pattern of recent losses. A 38-year-old man from Diplo in Tharparkar and a 12-year-old boy from Hyderabad also died of rabies not long ago. Together with the Baldia Town death, the figures underline how far the virus still reaches beyond a single neighbourhood.
Experts say many rabies infections never appear in official counts. Families often try home remedies or turn to faith healers instead of hospitals, they note, which can delay life-saving care.
What doctors say can still prevent the disease
Dog bites cause most human rabies cases, though bites from wild animals that may carry the virus can also spread it. After a bite or scratch from a suspect animal, early cleaning of the wound, prompt rabies vaccination, and rabies immunoglobulin (antibody treatment given when needed) can stop the infection. Once clinical symptoms appear, the disease is almost always fatal.
Experts stress three practical steps: public awareness about seeking care without delay, humane control of stray dog numbers, and ensuring hospitals stock and give the right treatment.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Over three weeks before the latest death: A Baldia Town resident was bitten by a dog and did not seek preventive treatment, officials said.
- Recently: A 38-year-old man from Diplo, Tharparkar, and a 12-year-old boy from Hyderabad died of rabies.
- Thursday: The septuagenarian died of rabies at JPMC in Karachi.
- Friday: Officials said Sindh’s rabies deaths this year had risen to 40.
- This year so far: JPMC has recorded over 11,000 dog-bite cases and 10 rabies deaths, including the latest case.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Sindh mein is saal rabies se 40 log mar chuke hain. Baldia Town ke aik budhay aadmi ko kutte ne kata tha, lekin unhon ne treatment nahi liya aur woh JPMC mein guzar gaye. Doctor kehte hain ke kaatne ke baad jaldi zakhm saaf karwana, vaccine lagwana aur zarurat par immunoglobulin lena bimari rok sakta hai. Symptoms shuru hone ke baad yeh bimari aksar jaan le leti hai, is liye delay bilkul na karein.
