A seven-year-old girl who fled the war in Gaza has died from rabies in Egypt after being bitten by a dog and not receiving a rabies vaccine.
The attack happened two months ago inside a private residential compound in 6th of October City, a satellite town on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. She later died at Abbasia Fever Hospital on 15th September.
The Palestinian girl, named as Jouri Mohamed Abu Awad, was bitten and never received the rabies vaccine that Egyptian government hospitals provide free of charge.
She developed fever, spasms, and agitation before suffering cardiac arrest and circulatory collapse caused by rabies complications.
Her father had earlier been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, and her mother had taken her and four siblings to Egypt in February.
The mother later left the country with one child to seek medical treatment abroad, leaving Jouri and her sisters in Cairo.
Police confirmed her death and transferred her body to the hospital morgue pending investigations.
The incident has triggered widespread debate on Egyptian social media, with many criticising the family for not immediately taking her for post-bite treatment, which is available free in state hospitals.
Others have called for authorities to address the problem of stray dogs through vaccination and sterilisation campaigns to avoid similar tragedies.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below. Story By: Michael Leidig, Sub-Editor: Simona Kitanovska, Agency: Newsflash
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