Karachi: A 45-year-old man from Larkana has died of rabies after failing to receive post-exposure vaccination following a dog bite, taking the number of rabies deaths reported in Sindh this year to 14 amid continuing concerns over rising dog bite cases across the province.
Officials at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) said G.H. Madani was brought to Karachi from Larkana in critical condition after developing symptoms consistent with rabies. According to hospital authorities, he had been bitten on a finger by a stray dog around two months ago but did not receive anti-rabies vaccination after the incident.
Doctors said the patient later developed fever, hydrophobia, or fear of water, and other neurological symptoms associated with rabies. Despite medical care, he could not survive.
Hospital officials said JPMC has reported five rabies deaths so far this year, while nine deaths have been recorded at Indus Hospital, bringing the total number of reported rabies fatalities in Sindh to 14 in 2026.
The latest death comes as dog bite cases continue to increase across Sindh. Health authorities say more than 25,000 dog bite incidents have been reported in Karachi alone this year, while the number of reported dog bite cases across Sindh has exceeded 100,000.
Public health experts maintain that rabies is almost entirely preventable if victims receive timely wound washing, anti-rabies vaccination and, where required, rabies immunoglobulin after exposure. However, once symptoms appear, the disease is nearly always fatal.
Health officials have urged people bitten or scratched by dogs, cats, monkeys, mongooses or other potentially rabid animals to seek immediate medical attention and complete the recommended vaccination course without delay.
Pakistan continues to face a significant burden of dog bites and rabies, particularly in Sindh, where shortages of vaccines, inadequate dog population control measures and delayed treatment often contribute to preventable deaths