KARACHI: Sindh has reported its first rabies fatality of 2026 after an eight-year-old girl from Jhol in Sanghar district died due to complications arising from a dog bite, health officials confirmed on Tuesday.
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The child was bitten by a stray dog around one-and-a-half months ago and sustained multiple deep wounds. She was taken to several public-sector health facilities where post-exposure treatment was initiated, but doctors say the care remained incomplete and improperly administered.
An 8-year-old girl has died of rabies in Sanghar district, marking the first rabies death in Sindh in 2026, highlighting gaps in dog-bite management, post-exposure treatment, and public awareness.#Rabies #PublicHealth pic.twitter.com/PBt7aPjx3s
— Desi News Network (@network_de7) January 27, 2026
According to Dr Gohar Aftab, in-charge of the Dog Bite Clinic at Indus Hospital Karachi, the girl was shifted to the facility in a critical condition on Monday. “She had already developed hydrophobia and aerophobia, which are classic signs of advanced rabies encephalitis,” he said, adding that once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal.
Hospital officials stated that the child did not receive the full course of rabies vaccination, while the required rabies immunoglobulin — crucial for severe bites — was either delayed or missed entirely. She was provided palliative care after arrival, as no curative treatment exists at the symptomatic stage of the disease.
Health authorities said this was the first confirmed rabies case and death reported in Sindh this year, even as dog-bite incidents continue to rise sharply across the province. More than 3,000 dog bite cases have already been recorded in January alone, sparking concerns over further fatalities.
Public health experts described the incident as a systemic failure rather than an isolated case. Rabies is entirely preventable through immediate wound washing with soap and water, followed by timely and complete administration of rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin.
Official data shows that 21 people died of rabies in Sindh last year, while over 60,000 dog bite cases were reported province-wide. Most victims belonged to low-income or rural communities with limited access to proper emergency care.
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Doctors and infectious disease specialists have urged authorities to strengthen dog-bite management services, ensure uninterrupted availability of vaccines and immunoglobulin, and expand public awareness campaigns in high-risk areas.