Only Son Died of Rabies, Says Hospital

 Visakhapatnam: The Bheemli government hospital on Wednesday dismissed reports that suggest the death of two men — a father and a son — by rabies.

Initially, news reports suggested that 59-year-old Narsinga Rao, a retired employee of the Road Transport Corporation, and his 27-year-old son Bhargav, passed away because of rabies infection, a week after being bitten by their pet dog.

The dog was reported to have died two days later, exhibiting symptoms consistent with rabies.

However, Kalyan Chakravarthy, assistant civil surgeon at the Bheemli government hospital, said Bhargav, along with his mother, were bitten by a dog on May 31 and both of them received the first dose of the rabies vaccine. His mother completed the full course and recovered, but Bhargav did not complete the recommended vaccinations and died of rabies on May 18.

Dr. Chakravarthy, however, clarified that Narsinga Rao, Bhargav's father, had been paralysed for the past two years and passed away due to health complications — unrelated to rabies — on Tuesday. A post-mortem examination revealed no dog bite injuries.