Sindh records first rabies death of 2026 as 8-year-old dies in Sanghar

An eight-year-old girl from Jhol in Sindh’s Sanghar district has died after contracting rabies, marking the province’s first reported rabies fatality of 2026 and highlighting persistent weaknesses in dog-bite response and post-exposure care.

Officials at Karachi’s Indus Hospital said the child was brought to the facility a day earlier, but she had been bitten by a dog around one-and-a-half months ago and had suffered multiple deep wounds.

Doctors said post-exposure treatment was started at different public-sector facilities, but hospital staff later found the course to be incomplete and inadequately administered. Clinicians reported the child developed hydrophobia and aerophobia—classic signs associated with late-stage rabies affecting the brain—indicating the illness had progressed to an advanced, irreversible stage.

Medical teams provided palliative care, noting that rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. Health authorities said the case comes amid a high volume of dog-bite incidents, with more than 3,000 cases reported during the month.

Public health specialists stressed that rabies deaths are preventable with correct, timely steps after a bite, including immediate washing of wounds with soap and water, completion of the vaccine schedule, and use of rabies immunoglobulin for severe exposures. Experts warned that delays, missed doses and limited access to immunoglobulin—especially for low-income and rural communities—continue to drive avoidable deaths.

They urged improved dog-bite management services, reliable availability of vaccines and immunoglobulin across public hospitals, and sustained awareness campaigns in high-risk areas so victims seek prompt treatment and receive correct care end-to-end.