State-level Kabaddi player dies of rabies weeks after being bitten by puppy he tried saving

State-level Kabaddi player dies of rabies weeks after being bitten by puppy he tried saving

Kabaddi player dies of rabies weeks after being bitten by puppy he tried saving Photograph: (Others)

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Per the reports, Brijesh mistook rabies symptoms for a routine sports injury. 

Help led to death. In heartbreaking yet worrying news coming out from North India, a state-level kabaddi player died of rabies weeks after being bitten by a stray puppy he reportedly rescued from a drain. Brijesh Solanki, a 22-year-old budding kabaddi player from Uttar Pradesh, began showing rabies symptoms just days before he succumbed to death. A gold medallist in state championships and a Pro Kabaddi League hopeful, Brijesh had not received an anti-rabies vaccine after a stray puppy bit him, leading to his death, per the latest reports.

A Times of India (TOI) report, quoting the officials, confirmed the development. Residing in Farana village, Bulandshahr, Brijesh was the youngest of three siblings. Following his death, the health officials visited that place on Monday (Jun 30), vaccinating 29 residents and starting a campaign to spread awareness about rabies prevention.

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Meanwhile, Brijesh’s deteriorating state, recorded on camera, did the rounds on social media on Sunday, after his death. Speaking to the news agency ANI, Brijesh’s brother, Sandeep Kumar said, “He went to practice in the village and got a little bite from a dog after pulling it out of a drain. He did not pay attention to it. We had not heard of a rabies case.

“The illness after the bite was confirmed in Aligarh Hospital after I reported that he was hesitating in drinking water... I demand from the government that we be provided a job because my brother was the sole breadwinner of the family...,” he said.

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Also, quoting Brijesh’s coach, Praveen Kumar, TOI reported that he mistook rabies symptoms for a routine sports injury.

“Brijesh mistook the pain in his arm for a regular kabaddi injury. The bite seemed minor and he didn't think it was serious, so he didn't take the vaccine,” Praveen said in a chat with TOI.

Late last month, on June 26, Brijesh began experiencing numbness while practicing. The officials rushed him to a district hospital, but as his condition deteriorated, he was moved to a private hospital in Noida. Sharing details of the same, his brother said,

“All of a sudden, he was afraid of water and was showing symptoms of rabies, but we were denied treatment at the government hospitals in Khurja, Aligarh and even Delhi. It was only in Noida that doctors confirmed he was likely infected with rabies. Brijesh died on Saturday while we were taking him to a faith healer in Mathura,” he concluded.

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