On 2/1, representatives from the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases reported the patient was in critical condition. Tests on his cerebrospinal fluid and saliva confirmed he was positive for the rabies virus. Doctors administered sedatives, inserted an endotracheal tube, and placed the child on a ventilator due to continuous laryngeal spasms, rigid posturing, and severe deterioration of consciousness.

The patient's medical history revealed he had been bitten on his left index finger by a stray dog. The wound was approximately 12 cm long and bled heavily. His family took him to a local medical facility for antiseptic treatment and wound care but did not administer a rabies vaccine. After several days, the bite wound healed without signs of inflammation. Notably, the same dog had bitten several other people in the same village, all of whom received vaccinations.

Doctors caring for the child patient. Photo: Hospital provided

Two days before hospital admission, the boy began showing typical symptoms. Initially, he experienced fever, muscle aches in his left arm (the bitten area), restlessness, and irritability. His condition quickly worsened, developing characteristic signs of rabies, including fear of water, wind, light, and loud noises, along with increased phlegm and muscle rigidity.

Doctor Dang Thi Thuy, Head of the Pediatrics Department, emphasized that rabies has a complex incubation period, which can extend for many months. However, once clinical symptoms appear, the mortality rate is 100% because current medicine lacks a specific treatment protocol.

Doctor Thuy advises the public not to be complacent about animal-inflicted wounds, even if the bite is small, superficial, or appears healed externally. Immediately after being bitten, scratched, or having an open wound licked by a dog, cat, or any animal suspected of having rabies, victims must thoroughly wash the affected skin area under running water with soap, disinfect it, and go to a medical facility immediately for vaccination.

For severe wounds, multiple injuries, or bites near the central nervous system (head, face, neck, genitals), doctors will prescribe rabies immunoglobulin in combination with the vaccine to neutralize the virus in a timely manner. People should never attempt to monitor animals at home or rely on folk remedies, to avoid missing the "golden hour" for saving the patient.

During the New Year's holiday and leading up to the Lunar New Year, increased travel and visits to rural areas and tourist destinations heighten the risk of contact with stray dogs and cats. Families should closely supervise children, prevent them from teasing strange animals, and proactively ensure their pets are fully vaccinated against rabies.

Thuy Quynh