Rabies kills two in Lahore and one in Tharparkar; Sindh's toll reaches 38 this year: what to do after a dog bite

Two elderly residents of Lahore, a woman of 60 and a man of 90, have died of rabies after dog bites, ProPakistani reported on Tuesday, 13 October. Both had been treated at Mayo Hospital. In Sindh, a 38-year-old man from Diplo taluka in Tharparkar died of rabies at Indus Hospital, Karachi, taking the province's reported rabies deaths this year to 38.

The cases

• Lahore: the woman was bitten by a stray dog about two months before she died in Mayo Hospital's isolation ward after developing rabies symptoms. The man was treated at Mayo for several days, doctors confirmed rabies, and he died at home after his family took him back.
• Tharparkar: the man was bitten about two and a half months before he was admitted to Indus Hospital on 7 October. He had received four doses of anti-rabies vaccine at THQ Hospital Diplo between 25 July and 8 August, but a hospital spokesperson said inadequate wound cleaning during his first treatment had been identified.
• Hyderabad: a 12-year-old boy who was bitten about two months ago and never vaccinated was moved to Jinnah Hospital, Karachi, with suspected rabies.

Of Sindh's 38 rabies deaths this year, 29 were recorded at Indus Hospital Karachi, 8 at Jinnah Hospital and 1 at Indus Hospital Badin. Indus Hospital alone has treated more than 15,000 dog-bite patients in 2026.

Rabies cannot be treated once symptoms start

The World Health Organization says rabies is fatal in virtually all cases once symptoms appear, and that dogs cause up to 99% of human cases. The virus usually takes two to three months to show itself, but it can be anything from a week to a year. That is why the hours after a bite decide the outcome, not the weeks.

What to do after a dog bite

1. Wash the wound at once with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes. WHO puts this first, and Indus Hospital doctors repeat it. Do not apply chilli, mud, oil or any home remedy, and do not bandage it tightly.
2. Go to a hospital the same day, even for a scratch that bleeds. Ask the emergency department for the anti-rabies vaccine.
3. Know your category. WHO's guidance:
   • Category I: a lick on unbroken skin or touching an animal. Wash the skin; no injection needed.
   • Category II: a nibble on bare skin or a minor scratch without bleeding. Wash and start the vaccine immediately.
   • Category III: a bite or scratch that breaks the skin, or saliva on a wound, eyes or mouth. Wash, start the vaccine and also get rabies immunoglobulin (RIG), injected into and around the wound.
4. Finish every dose on the dates the hospital gives you. Keep the vaccination card.
5. Do not wait for symptoms. Fever, pain or tingling at the bite, fear of water, agitation and confusion mean the disease has already reached the brain.

Where to go

Find a hospital near you in the hospitals directory for Lahore or Karachi. In an emergency, call Rescue 1122.