A 30-year-old bank employee died by suicide in Thane, Maharashtra fearing symptoms of rabies after being bitten by a dog.
The deceased, a resident of Chakki Naka area in Kalyan, was bitten by a stray dog a few days ago. He hid the dog bite incident from his family and did not complete the full course of rabies vaccination, according to an earlier HT report.
The 30-year-old lives with his elderly parents and brother in an apartment in Kalyan. He was alone at home at the time of the accident, while his family traveled to their native country.
Hemant Gaurav, senior police inspector at Kulchiwadi police station, said his family returned on Sunday evening and found him dead when they opened the door of their apartment. “We were informed and registered an FIR regarding the accidental death,” Gaurav said.
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The deceased was nervous and claimed to be suffering from symptoms of rabies
Police found a suicide note from the scene during the investigation, where the deceased revealed that he had been bitten in the leg by a stray dog some time ago.
He wrote that he did not disclose the incident to anyone in his family to avoid causing them stress, but he allegedly began experiencing symptoms. This included panicking at the sight of water, a symptom associated with advanced rabies. According to the police, the deceased had only taken one dose of the anti-rabies vaccine.
In the memo, the 30-year-old expressed his fears about the worsening of his condition, and stated that he did not want his family to witness this suffering. He further wrote that no one should be held responsible for his death.
Medical experts confirm that rabies can be prevented if immediate and complete post-exposure prophylaxis is given following a dog bite. Doctors urge those who are bitten to wash the wound well with soap and water immediately and to seek approved medical treatment after any dog bite or scratch.
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