THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A seven-year-old girl from Kunnikode in Kollam, succumbed to rabies at SAT Hospital in the city on Monday morning.
She is the third child to have died of rabies infection despite receiving vaccination in Kerala in a month. Bhagyalakshmi, 13, from Pullad, Pathanamthitta, died on April 9, and Ziya Faris, 6, from Thenhipalam, Malappuram, died on April 29. Niya, who was bitten by a dog on April 8, received three doses of the anti-rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin serum.
Soon after the dog bit her, Niya was taken to a primary health centre and later referred to Punalur taluk hospital after a medical examination found the wound to be deep. She was administered the anti-rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin serum at the taluk hospital. However, she was referred to SAT Hospital after she developed a fever on April 28 and diagnosed with rabies.
'Deep wound on nerve-rich area lead to death'
Hospital authorities said a deep dog bite on the nerve-rich part of Niya's elbow and the anterior part of the elbow joint led to her death.
This was a direct injury to the nerve and hence chances of the virus reaching the brain before the vaccine could act were very high. The cubital fossa is a junction through which major nerves and blood vessels travel, Dr S Bindu, superintendent of SAT Hospital, said.
Niya's body was laid to rest at Alenchery Muslim Jamaat mosque. As part of the protocol, her body was not taken home or kept for public viewing. Her mother has been placed under quarantine.
The back-to-back deaths of three children owing to rabies despite receiving vaccination have reignited the debate over stray dog menace and the effectiveness and quality control of vaccines in the state.
The opposition accused the govt of mismanagement, while MB Rajesh, state minister, blamed the Centre's "impractical" animal birth control norms for the situation. According to health department statistics, 22 people have died of rabies in the state since 2021, despite receiving the vaccine.
Dr KV Viswanath, joint director of medical education, said the vaccine could not be blamed for the tragic outcome. The vaccine's effectiveness depends on the wound's severity and the rate of viral transmission, he said. Niya was given three doses of the vaccine but succumbed to the rabies virus before she could be administered the fourth dose on May 6. A bite on areas like the face, neck, and elbow could lead to the virus reaching the brain and spinal cord before the vaccine can generate antibodies, the doctor said.
She is the third child to have died of rabies infection despite receiving vaccination in Kerala in a month. Bhagyalakshmi, 13, from Pullad, Pathanamthitta, died on April 9, and Ziya Faris, 6, from Thenhipalam, Malappuram, died on April 29. Niya, who was bitten by a dog on April 8, received three doses of the anti-rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin serum.
Soon after the dog bit her, Niya was taken to a primary health centre and later referred to Punalur taluk hospital after a medical examination found the wound to be deep. She was administered the anti-rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin serum at the taluk hospital. However, she was referred to SAT Hospital after she developed a fever on April 28 and diagnosed with rabies.
'Deep wound on nerve-rich area lead to death'
Hospital authorities said a deep dog bite on the nerve-rich part of Niya's elbow and the anterior part of the elbow joint led to her death.
This was a direct injury to the nerve and hence chances of the virus reaching the brain before the vaccine could act were very high. The cubital fossa is a junction through which major nerves and blood vessels travel, Dr S Bindu, superintendent of SAT Hospital, said.
Niya's body was laid to rest at Alenchery Muslim Jamaat mosque. As part of the protocol, her body was not taken home or kept for public viewing. Her mother has been placed under quarantine.
The back-to-back deaths of three children owing to rabies despite receiving vaccination have reignited the debate over stray dog menace and the effectiveness and quality control of vaccines in the state.
The opposition accused the govt of mismanagement, while MB Rajesh, state minister, blamed the Centre's "impractical" animal birth control norms for the situation. According to health department statistics, 22 people have died of rabies in the state since 2021, despite receiving the vaccine.
Dr KV Viswanath, joint director of medical education, said the vaccine could not be blamed for the tragic outcome. The vaccine's effectiveness depends on the wound's severity and the rate of viral transmission, he said. Niya was given three doses of the vaccine but succumbed to the rabies virus before she could be administered the fourth dose on May 6. A bite on areas like the face, neck, and elbow could lead to the virus reaching the brain and spinal cord before the vaccine can generate antibodies, the doctor said.
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