Punjalakatte: 31-year-old dies of suspected rabies infection

Mangaluru: In a tragic incident, a 31-year-old man from Bantwal taluk in Karnataka succumbed to suspected rabies infection after being bitten by a puppy three months ago.

The deceased has been identified as Prashanth Hegde, son of Ashok Hegde, a resident of Punjalakatte in Pilatabettu village.

According to reports, Prashanth had been bitten by a puppy from his house three months ago, which subsequently died. However, he did not receive proper treatment for the dog bite. Over the last two days, he had been suffering from severe distress and fever, and had sought medical attention at a local health center. However, doctors had referred him to the Wenlock Government Hospital in Mangaluru for further treatment. Sadly, Prashanth passed away without responding to treatment.

Prashanth’s clinical symptoms were that of rabies, and the exact cause of his death is yet to be ascertained, according to district health officer Dr. Kishore. He has stressed the importance of taking extra care and providing immediate treatment in case of dog bites, adding that Prashanth could have survived if he had been treated quickly after being bitten by the dog. Unfortunately, the rabies symptoms may have already worsened by the time he sought medical attention.

Prashanth was the eldest of two sons and was unmarried. He was a contractual employee of Jio and was the mainstay of his family. He also worked as an assistant for puja functions at Punjalakatte Sri Rama Bhajana Mandir and was the BJP’s Pilatabettu booth president. He was also an amateur theater artiste and was involved in several local organizations.