Assam man with rabies, who fled KMC, caught within hours

Kottayam: Rabies patient and migrant labourer Jeevan Baruva (39), who had fled Kottayam Medical College hospital on Wednesday night, was caught within hours by the police.

The Assam native had sneaked out around 12.30 pm in the night and the police nabbed him from the Kudamaloor area, post which he was shifted to the hospital.

Jeevan had sought treatment initially at the Kottayam General Hospital for a dog bite. He was sent to the Medical College Hospital for a thorough examination.

He reached the casualty wing of Medical College Hospital along with two friends in an autorickshaw at 10.30 pm on Wednesday. In the tests subsequently rabies infection was confirmed.

Although he was shifted to the contagious diseases department, he ran out from the hospital. After the hospital authorities informed the police, an alert was sounded in the district.

The two friends who had reached the hospital along with the man have also gone missing, police stated.

Is rabies contagious?

Rabies is a serious disease caused by a virus and affects the nerves and brain. The virus is usually transmitted by a bite from an infected animal. But it can also spread if the animal’s saliva gets directly into a person’s eyes, nose, mouth, or an open wound.

Rabies can be prevented if the bitten person gets prompt treatment. If a person isn’t treated and develops rabies, it is almost always fatal.

The first symptoms of rabies can appear from a few days to more than a year after the bite happens.

Rabies is not contagious, i.e., it is not transmitted from person to person.