A man who was attacked by a wild cat in Kollam has died of rabies. According to reports, Muhammad Rafi (48) from Nilamel passed away even though he was administered the rabies vaccine. Rafi was a rubber tapper. He was attacked by the wild feline on May 22.

After showing signs of discomfort, he was admitted at the Paripally Medical College on June 12. He was later shifted to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. Rafi died on June 14. Thiruvananthapuram Medical College confirmed the rabies infection from Rafi's samples sent to the State Institute of Animal Diseases.

In a similar incident, Stephin V Pereira from Thiruvananthapuram recently died of rabies after she was reportedly scratched by a stray dog. Pereira developed rabies symptoms on June 9 while taking care of her brother at the Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram.

When doctors enquired about likely causes, she had revealed that one of the strays that she was feeding had scratched her hand. Though admitted soon after for treatment Pereira died last Sunday evening.