45-year-old dies of rabies after bitten by pet dog

Pudukottai: A 45-year-old man from Thirumayam in Pudukottai district died of rabies after failing to take anti-rabies treatment following a bite from his pet dog some months ago.The deceased, identified as Ramalingam, was a Electricity Board employee near Thirumayam. Sources said he was bitten by a dog raised at his house about five months ago. As it was a pet dog, he did not seek vaccination or medical treatment at the time. The dog is said to have died within 10 days of biting him.Ramalingam continued to attend work as usual but developed symptoms a few days ago and was admitted to a private hospital in Trichy. After medical examination, he was diagnosed with rabies. Despite treatment efforts, he died at the hospital on Monday. Sources added that more than 10 family members and close contacts have since been administered anti-rabies vaccination at a govt hospital as a precautionary measure.