A six-year-old girl who was bitten by a community dog in Diva last month has died of rabies in Mumbai, raising grave concerns over post-bite treatment protocols, stray dog management, and administrative accountability.

Dog bite incident in Diva

The child, identified as Nisha, was attacked by a dog on the night of November 17 while playing outside her home in Diva. According to her family, the dog bit her on the shoulder and cheeks. She was first taken to a local doctor and subsequently referred to Shastrinagar Hospital, run by the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC).

Doctors at Shastrinagar Hospital initiated the standard anti-rabies protocol, including vaccinations. “She received all mandatory injections on time and had no complications,” said her mother, Sushma Shinde. “She seemed completely fine. We even celebrated her birthday on December 3.”

Sudden deterioration after final vaccine dose

The child’s condition worsened suddenly on December 16, a day after she received the final dose of the anti-rabies vaccine. She developed fever, headache, extreme weakness, and alarming behavioural changes.

“She began banging her head against the bed and scratching anyone who came near her,” her mother recalled. The family rushed her back to Shastrinagar Hospital, from where she was referred to Kasturba Hospital for advanced care.

Admitted on December 18, doctors informed the family that the child was exhibiting symptoms consistent with rabies and warned that her chances of survival were extremely low.

Death sparks questions and outrage

Despite medical efforts, the girl’s condition deteriorated rapidly. Her oxygen levels dropped, and she died on Sunday. The family has now sought answers, questioning how rabies developed despite adherence to the prescribed treatment.

“We followed everything exactly as advised. We don’t want any other family to suffer like this,” said her uncle, Deva Kadam.

Civic response and calls for probe

Activists and political leaders have blamed civic apathy and gaps in stray dog management. Rohidas Munde said the incident was the second reported dog-bite case in the suburb, warning that many cases go unreported.

“This raises serious concerns about treatment protocols, medicine quality, and administrative accountability,” he said, demanding a transparent inquiry.

KDMC medical health officer Dr Deepa Shukla stated that the prescribed protocol — including anti-rabies vaccine, immunoglobulin, and tetanus toxoid — was followed. Detailed reports from both hospitals are awaited. Kasturba Hospital is yet to issue an official response.

Officials from the Thane Municipal Corporation said this could be the first rabies death reported in recent years within municipal limits.