TN Man Dies of Rabies Despite Vaccination

A 47-year-old autorickshaw driver from Royapettah, who was fully vaccinated following exposure, died of rabies at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) on Saturday afternoon after being bitten by a stray dog in July.

- RAJALAKSHMI SAMPATH & PRAVEENA S A @Chennai

He is the 22nd person to die of rabies in Tamil Nadu this year.

Despite protocol requiring local bodies to capture and observe aggressive strays after instances of dog bites, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) said it had not done so but would now undertake an anti-rabies vaccination drive in the locality, nearly two months after the man was attacked.

Health department officials said that A Mohammed Nasarudeen, a resident of Koya Arunagiri 2nd Street, died despite having received all four doses of the anti-rabies vaccination. "We are investigating the case to understand what led to the death in spite of completion of the four-dose vaccination schedule. The findings will be known only after the inquiry," Dr A Somasundaram, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, told TNIE on Sunday.