Teenager dies in suspected rabies infection

Kadaba: In tragic news, a teenager is suspected to have succumbed to rabies that remained undiagnosed for a long time.

The deceased has been identified as Vincy (17), daughter of Kedila Varghese from Alankaru Village. The girl was pursuing her pre-University studies from Kadaba Government PU College.

As per reports, Vincy was taken to a hospital on the morning of September 30 for treatment of a severe headache. Because her symptoms worsened by the evening, she was rushed to a private hospital in Puttur and then to District Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru. Unfortunately, she died within hours of getting admitted into the hospital.

Rabies is a viral disease that spreads by the saliva of infected animals. The rabies virus infects the central nervous system of mammals, ultimately causing inflammation in the brain and death. Although any mammal can get rabies, the vast majority of cases are reported from wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes.

A rabid dog is believed to be the source of the infection. Sources said that a rabid street dog had attacked several dogs in the area around the house where the girl lived. A few months back, the pet dog of the victim had also mysteriously died. It is suspected that the girl must have unknowingly contracted from this.

The sudden demise of Vincy has put the whole family in grief. She was the sole surviving child of the Varghese couple. Their elder son had passed away due to drowning in a river in 2018.

However, health department officials have now clarified that they found no evidence to support the suspicion. The girl did not show the major symptoms of salivation and hydrophobia found in rabies patients. “It may be a case of a cerebral hemorrhage. A team of doctors has visited the house, and they will submit a report after studying the case sheet,”  DHO Dr. Kishore Kumar M was quoted as saying by TOI.