Greater Noida Woman Drinks Cow Milk, Dies Of Rabies Within Days
The woman unknowingly consumed milk from a cow that had contracted rabies after being bitten by a stray dog.
A shocking case of rabies transmission surfaced in Greater Noida, challenging widespread misconceptions about the deadly virus. While most people believe that rabies spreads only through dog bites, the tragic demise of a woman in a rural part of the city underscores a lesser-known yet equally dangerous mode of infection – consumption of milk from an infected animal.
The woman, whose family was engaged in animal husbandry, unknowingly consumed milk from a cow that had contracted rabies after being bitten by a stray dog. Neither she nor her family initially realised the cow was infected. Even after the animal began exhibiting symptoms, prompting the family to vaccinate it, the woman did not seek medical intervention. Her failure to get vaccinated proved fatal.
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According to sources, the cow had given birth to a calf two months prior, and its milk was regularly consumed by the family and other villagers. Once the infection was identified, at least ten people from the village sought post-exposure rabies vaccinations. However, the woman, for reasons unknown, did not take the precautionary injection. In the days that followed, she developed severe symptoms consistent with rabies, including an extreme fear of water – a telltale sign of the virus.
Soon she began experiencing panic episodes and exhibited aggressive reactions to light and water. In a desperate attempt to save her, family members rushed her to multiple hospitals, but she was repeatedly turned away. Eventually, doctors at the district hospital advised them to take her home. She died shortly after.
The incident sent shockwaves through the village, as many had consumed the same contaminated milk. Health officials have since urged villagers to seek immediate medical attention if they had any exposure to the infected animal.
Rabies, a fatal viral infection affecting the nervous system, can spread through the saliva of an infected animal, not just through bites but also through open wounds or mucous membranes.
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