Kinkini Gupta
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Research states consumption of unpasteurized milk from a rabies-infected cow can cause fatal rabies infection. Know what happened to the Delhi-NCR woman who drank cow milk.
A bizarre and rare case of rabies death has surfaced wherein a woman from Delhi NCR's Greater Noida has succumbed to rabies infection after contracting it from cow milk. According to reports, the cow was infected with rabies disease after being bitten by a stray dog. The woman reportedly did not take any precaution after drinking the milk from an infected cow. In a few days, she started developing symptoms of rabies. News outlets reported that her family members rushed her to multiple hospitals trying to save her. However, the hospitals turned her away. A district hospital reportedly advised them o take her back home shortly after which she passed away.
According to data presented by the National Centre for Disease Control, Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, "There is no laboratory or epidemiological evidence to show that rabies is transmitted via the consumption of milk or milk products. Therefore, PEP is not required for consuming any milk or milk products from rabies infected animals."
However, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are previous evidences of potential mass exposures to rabies through drinking unpasteurized milk. One such incident was reported in 1998 by the Virology Laboratory of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (VLMDPH) and another was reported in 1996. Both incidences were from a farm in Worcester County, United States. Further analysis revealed that the cow's brain tissue revealed the cow was infected with a variant of the rabies virus associated with raccoons in the eastern United States.
A report by ICAR also states that if unpasteurized milk is consumed from an infected cow, it increase the risk of rabies infection.