3-year-old boy bitten by family cat dies of rabies

He was taken to the Chu Se District Medical Center last Sunday after several days of vomiting at home.

The doctors at the center diagnosed him with rabies, gastrointestinal infection and dehydration, and transferred him to the Gia Lai Children’s Hospital a day later, the Gia Lai Provincial Center for Disease Control reported.

After being advised by doctors at the hospital about his condition, the child’s family decided to take him home early Monday.

At home he screamed, had difficulty swallowing, drooled, was afraid of light, water and wind, had a headache, and could not eat or drink anything.

He died the same morning.

According to the family, he had been bitten on the hand by the cat a month ago. The wound was shallow and bled but no treatment or rabies vaccine was provided.

The cat, a family pet, disappeared after biting the boy and has not returned home since.

The only way to prevent rabies is to get vaccinated after being bitten by a dog or cat or one of several wild animals.

Once rabies symptoms appear, the mortality rate is 100%.

The boy’s is the fourth rabies death in Gia Lai this year.