5-Year-Old Dies From Rabies In Kerala Despite Timely Vaccination After Dog Bite
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Ziya Faris, a 5-year-old from Kerala, died from rabies despite timely vaccination after a stray dog bite. Treated at Kozhikode Medical College, she succumbed to severe injuries
A child from Kerala's Malappuram district has died from rabies, despite receiving timely vaccination and treatment following a stray dog bite.
The deceased, identified as Ziya Faris, was the daughter of Salman Faris, a resident of Malappuram. The five-and-a-half-year-old girl passed away while undergoing treatment at Kozhikode Medical College.
According to The News Minute, Ziya was one of seven individuals bitten by the same stray dog on March 29. While the others are reportedly recovering, she sustained particularly severe injuries.
According to the report, Ziya was attacked while walking to a nearby shop. The dog inflicted deep bites on her head, legs, and shoulder. She was first taken to Tirurangadi Taluk Hospital before being shifted to Kozhikode Medical College.
There, doctors administered both the intradermal rabies vaccine (IDRV) and rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) as part of the standard post-exposure prophylaxis. RIG, also known as anti-rabies serum, provides immediate passive immunity, buying time until the patient's own immune response kicks in.
Initially, her recovery appeared promising. Her wounds began healing by April 1, and she even resumed playing outside. But on April 25, Ziya developed a fever and was rushed back to the hospital, where tests confirmed she had contracted rabies. Her condition quickly worsened, she was unable to eat or open her eyes in her final days, doctors said.
As The News Minute notes, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that bites on the head, neck, hands, and other highly nerve-dense areas can allow the virus to travel more swiftly to the brain. This proximity can undermine even timely post-exposure treatment, highlighting the dangerous unpredictability of rabies in high-risk bite locations.
Kerala recorded 102 rabies deaths between 2021 and April 2025, with 20 victims having received full or partial vaccination, Onmanorama reported, citing RTI data from the Directorate of Health Services. Among them, 10 had suffered severe bites to the head and face, areas where the virus can reach the brain faster, reducing vaccine effectiveness.
An expert panel formed by the Kerala government in 2022 found that rabies deaths despite vaccination were largely due to bites on highly innervated areas like the head, face, neck, and between fingers, the Onmanorama report pointed out. The committee ruled out vaccine quality issues, noting all tested batches met safety and potency standards. It concluded that in fatal cases, the virus likely entered the nervous system directly through deep wounds, shortening the incubation period.
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