A 10-year-old girl, Kashish Sahani, a Class 4 student from Nalasopara in Palghar district near Mumbai, died of rabies after reportedly not receiving post-exposure vaccination following a stray dog scratch.
According to reports, the incident occurred approximately six months prior when she was scratched by a stray dog while walking with her grandfather. The child did not receive anti-rabies vaccination, reportedly due to fear of injections after being taken into a nearby medical facility. The family did not persist the post exposure prophylaxis since she seemed to recover fine.
Last week, she developed symptoms like inability to eat, drink or talk and her condition started to turn worse, and was taken to a nearby hospital. She was later referred to Kasturba hospital in Mumbai, where she died of rabies on Monday.
Rabies is a viral infection that affects the central nervous system and is transmitted through bites or scratches from infected animals, most commonly dogs.
Rabies virus travels through peripheral nerves to the brain, where it causes inflammation (encephalitis). Once it reaches the central nervous system:
Treatment options are extremely limited
Disease progression becomes irreversible
This explains why early intervention is critical and why vaccination before symptom onset is life-saving.
Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is almost universally fatal. However, it is entirely preventable if post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), including Rabies vaccination, is administered promptly after exposure.
Fever
Pain or tingling at the wound site
Headache
Weakness
Hydrophobia (fear of water)
Difficulty swallowing
Agitation or confusion
Paralysis
The disease progresses rapidly once symptoms begin, leading to death in most cases.
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) includes:
Immediate washing of the wound with soap and water
Administration of rabies vaccine
Rabies immunoglobulin in certain cases
Delays or avoidance of vaccination significantly increase the risk of infection.
In this case, the absence of vaccination following exposure likely contributed to disease progression.
According to WHO, India accounts for approximately 35% of global rabies deaths, making it one of the countries most affected by the disease.
Factors contributing to this burden include:
High population of stray dogs
Limited awareness about post-exposure care
Delays in accessing vaccination
Rabies remains a major public health concern despite being preventable.1
The case has renewed attention on rabies-related risks and public response.
A previous case reported by MedBound Times in February 2026, involved a banker in Kalyan who died by suicide due to fear of developing rabies after a dog bite, underscoring the psychological impact associated with the disease.
Supreme court had directed authorities in Delhi to take action regarding stray dog populations, including their removal in Delhi NCR area, citing public safety concerns in August 2025.
The Delhi government is also set to issue a notification declaring human rabies a notifiable disease in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, hoping to gain zero deaths from the infection.
In Thane, Mumbai, a Rabies free campaign was launched in February 2026, to address the increasing number of stray dog populations and bites.
Responses from different states have varied, with measures including:
Animal birth control (ABC) programs
Vaccination drives for stray dogs
Public awareness campaigns
See also: Kerala Doctors Urge Universal Rabies Vaccination for Children
Stray dogs are the primary source of rabies transmission in India. Public health strategies focus on:
Mass vaccination of dogs
Population control programs
Community education
Effective implementation of these measures is essential to reduce rabies incidence.
(Rh)
