Kannur: A five-year-old boy died of rabies following a stray dog attack here on Saturday. The victim, Haarith, was the son of Manimaran and Jaathiya, a native of Kallakurichi in Tamil Nadu.

The child was bitten by a stray dog outside his house in Payyambalam on May 31. Though he received the first three doses of the anti-rabies vaccine, he later developed symptoms, including fever and difficulty in salivation. He was initially taken to Kannur District Hospital and subsequently shifted to Government Medical College, Pariyaram, as his condition worsened.

Haarith had sustained bites on his eye and required seven stitches on his face. His condition turned critical soon after hospitalisation.

Kannur health authorities confirmed that the child had received three doses of the vaccine. “There is currently no cure for rabies. We only have a vaccine, which can help prevent the virus to a certain extent. However, the vaccine's effectiveness depends on several conditions,” an official from the health department said.

“The vaccine requires at least 72 hours to generate antibodies in the body. If the bite is on a fleshier part of the body, the chances of the vaccine working are higher. But if the dog bites directly on the nerves, there is a greater risk of it reaching the brain, which can lead to a critical or even fatal outcome,” the official explained.

In this case, the officer added, the bites on the child’s face and head may have allowed the virus to reach the brain.

Manimaran has been working in Kannur in the cable industry for the past 15 years.