Tamil Nadu Man Dies Of Rabies After He Refused Treatment For Dog Bite

A 31-year-old construction worker in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district has died of rabies, three months after he was bitten by a dog. The victim, Ayyappan, had refused getting treated for rabies. Ayyapan had been working at a construction site in the Kaval Kinaru area of the adjoining Kanniyakumari district when the incident occurred.

Police and hospital sources told NDTV that he was bitten by a dog at the site abut three months ago. Ayappan ignored the injury (due to the dog bite) and did not undergo post-rabies exposure vaccination or any medical follow-up.

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Speaking with NDTV, Dr Leo David, the dean of the government medical college in Asaripallam, confirmed that the 31-year-old died of rabies. Hospital authorities said that by the time Ayappan was brought to the hospital, he showed clear symptoms of rabies.

The man was facing restlessness and difficulty swallowing. He was earlier taken to two private hospitals before he was admitted to the government facility in Asaripallam, where he died despite medical efforts.

Ayappan's death came amid the Supreme Court's intervention to isolate dogs with symptoms of rabies and the Tamil Nadu government launching a campaign to vaccinate community dogs in the state.