Rabies death toll rises to 40 in Sindh after elderly man dies

KARACHI: A septuagenarian man died of rabies at a local hospital, raising this year’s tally from the deadly infectious disease in Sindh to 40, officials said on Friday. They said that the victim, a resident of Baldia Town, was bitten by a dog over three weeks back but he did not seek preventive treatment. He passed away at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) on Thursday.

The JPMC has recorded over 11,000 dog bite cases and 10 deaths from rabies this year, including the latest one. Recently, a 38-year-old man hailing from Diplo, Tharparkar, and a 12-year-old boy hailing from Hyderabad died of rabies. Experts say a large number of rabies cases go unreported as patients use home remedies or turn to faith healers for “treatment”. They emphasised the need for public awareness, humane control of the dog population and the availability of appropriate treatment in hospitals. While…