A 30-year-old bank employee from Kalyan in Maharashtra died by suicide after reportedly fearing that he would contract rabies following a stray dog bite.
Police officials stated that the man had been anxious about the possibility of developing rabies despite reportedly receiving medical attention. He had taken one dose of PEP injection, but was anxious he was developing symptoms. The incident has drawn attention to the importance of public awareness regarding rabies prevention and post-exposure treatment.
Rabies is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. However, it is preventable through prompt and appropriate post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
In India, dogs account for more than 96% of human rabies transmissions. According to the National Multicentric Rabies Survey (2003), approximately 17 million animal bites occur annually in the country, resulting in around 20,000 human rabies deaths. About 35% of these cases occur in children.
According to Immunize India, early symptoms of rabies may resemble flu-like illness and include:
Fever
Headache
Weakness
Tingling or burning sensation at the bite site
As the disease progresses, symptoms may include:
Agitation
Confusion
Difficulty swallowing
Hydrophobia (fear of water)
Paralysis
Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is nearly always fatal. This is why immediate preventive treatment after exposure is critical.
Health authorities recommend the following steps if bitten by an animal:
Wash and flush the wound immediately with soap and running water for 10–15 minutes. If soap is unavailable, use water alone. This is considered the most effective first-aid measure against rabies.
Clean the wound thoroughly with 70% alcohol/ethanol or povidone-iodine, if available.
Seek medical care as soon as possible for further treatment.
Prompt wound washing significantly reduces viral load at the exposure site.
See also: Australian Advisory Flags Counterfeit Rabies Vaccine Linked to India
According to the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) Advisory Committee on Vaccines & Immunization Practices, the standard post-exposure vaccination schedule for previously unvaccinated individuals involves five intramuscular doses.
The recommended schedule is:
Day 0 (the day vaccination begins)
Day 3
Day 7
Day 14
Day 28 or 30 (depending on protocol)
A regimen of five one-mL doses should be administered intramuscularly. The first dose should be given as soon as possible after exposure, and that date is considered Day 0 of the PEP series.
In certain high-risk exposures, rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) may also be administered.
No. There is no single-dose rabies vaccine available anywhere in the world that provides lifelong immunity.
Single-dose regimens may provide temporary protection in specific circumstances, but full post-exposure vaccination is required after a potentially rabid animal bite.
Medical experts emphasize that rabies is preventable if treated promptly after exposure. Anxiety and misinformation about the disease can lead to distress, emphasising the need for clear public health communication regarding:
Immediate wound care
Timely vaccination
Availability of effective PEP
Health authorities continue to stress that individuals who receive proper post-exposure prophylaxis before symptom onset can prevent the disease.
In a video posted in her Instagram handle on rabies post-exposure vaccination, pediatrician Dr. Sivaranjini Santhosh has emphasized the importance of the correct injection site. She noted that administration in the buttocks is a common but avoidable mistake.
“If a dog or a cat or a horse or a cow or a buffalo or a monkey or a bat scratches you or bites you; or for that matter any mammal, and if rabies vaccine is prescribed, it should be taken either in the shoulder or in the thigh, not in the buttocks. If it is given in the buttocks, the vaccine has to be repeated. This is very, very important.”
Dr. Sivaranjini Santhosh, Pediatrician
Medical guidelines advise against giving rabies vaccines in the gluteal region because the presence of adipose (fat) tissue can reduce proper absorption of the vaccine, potentially lowering its effectiveness.
Since rabies post-exposure prophylaxis must act quickly to prevent viral progression, ensuring correct intramuscular administration in the deltoid (shoulder) or anterolateral thigh is critical for optimal immune response.
Reference
1. Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Rabies Free India: Downloads. Accessed February 24, 2026. https://www.rabiesfreeindia.mohfw.gov.in/downloads.
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