Hyderabad Rabies Death: 11-Year-Old Boy Dies After Dog Bite
An 11-year-old boy has died of rabies in Hyderabad after a stray dog bite that went untreated for two months, the Sindh Health Department confirmed on Sunday.
The child, identified as Inam, a resident of Latifabad, died on Friday night during treatment at the Civil Hospital (Liaquat University Hospital) in Hyderabad. A dog had bitten him on the arm about two months ago, but he never told his family, so he received no post-exposure vaccination.
Rabies symptoms appeared only four days before he was brought to a hospital. By then, doctors say, it was too late.
A wound that healed, a disease that did not
District Health Officer Dr Pir Ghulam Hussain said Inam was first taken to Jinnah Hospital in Karachi, where doctors confirmed rabies. He was then transferred to Liaquat University Hospital on October 13 and admitted to the intensive care unit.
The DHO said the boy’s wound had healed long before the symptoms appeared, which is why the family had no idea he had been bitten. The child disclosed the bite only after he developed the disease.
Rabies is almost always fatal once clinical symptoms appear. It is, however, fully preventable if the wound is cleaned promptly and a complete course of anti-rabies vaccine is given in time.
Fourth Hyderabad rabies death this year
With Inam’s death, the number of rabies fatalities in Hyderabad district has risen to four this year, health officials said. The case adds to Sindh’s growing toll, which health monitors have put at around 40 deaths province-wide in 2026.
The figures point to a crisis that keeps repeating itself. Only days earlier, a septuagenarian man from Baldia Town in Karachi died of rabies at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, taking the provincial tally to 40. That case had been reported as a suspected infection earlier in the month, when the elderly patient was brought to the hospital in critical condition after a dog bite went untreated for weeks.
Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre alone has recorded more than 11,000 dog-bite cases and 10 rabies deaths this year. Recently, a 38-year-old man from Tharparkar and a 12-year-old boy from Hyderabad also died of the disease.
Why children are the most vulnerable
Children make up a large share of rabies victims in Sindh. They play outdoors, cannot fight off an aggressive dog, and are more likely to be bitten on the face, head or hands, where the virus reaches the brain faster.
Experts also warn that the official toll understates the problem. Many patients die at home without reaching a hospital, and uneven record-keeping means the true number is likely higher.
What to do after a dog bite
Doctors stress that the first minutes after a bite matter most. Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes. Do not cover it immediately, and do not rely on home remedies.
Then reach a medical facility without delay. Completing the full vaccination course is critical. Partial treatment leaves the victim unprotected, and once symptoms appear, medicine can do almost nothing.
The tragedy in Latifabad carries a painful lesson: the bite happened two months ago, the wound healed, and the family never knew. A simple conversation about the bite, and a visit to a hospital, could have saved the child’s life.
—
Frequently asked questions
What happened to the 11-year-old boy in Hyderabad?
Inam, an 11-year-old resident of Latifabad, died of rabies on Friday night at Liaquat University Hospital in Hyderabad. A stray dog had bitten him on the arm about two months earlier, but he never told his family and received no vaccination.
How many rabies deaths has Sindh recorded in 2026?
Health monitors put the provincial toll at around 40 deaths this year, with four in Hyderabad district alone. The Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre in Karachi has recorded 10 rabies deaths and more than 11,000 dog-bite cases.
What should you do immediately after a dog bite?
Wash the wound with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes, avoid home remedies, and get to a hospital quickly for assessment and vaccination. Complete the full course of the anti-rabies vaccine.
