A 12-year-old girl who was on ventilator support after being bitten by a stray dog a few weeks ago died at the Kottayam Medical College on Monday afternoon despite having taken three doses of the anti-rabies vaccine. The Kerala Health Department sources said that "clinical features indicated that the child died due to rabies, but we are awaiting results of the confirmatory test from the National Institute of Virology in Pune".

The girl, a native of Ranni in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, was bitten several times by a stray dog when she had gone to buy milk on the morning of August 14. After being bitten, she was immediately taken to a hospital and had received three doses of the anti-rabies vaccine till date and was scheduled to get the fourth one on September 10. However, on Friday evening, as her health deteriorated, she was taken to the Pathanamthitta General Hospital, but since her condition was serious, she was then shifted to Kottayam Medical College.

On Saturday, Kerala Health Minister Veena George had ordered setting up of a medical board to treat the 12-year-old child.

With anxiety mounting in the state over the recent deaths due to rabies infection despite vaccination, the Chief Minister had told the Assembly last week that the government would set up an expert panel to examine the quality of the anti-rabies vaccine being given in hospitals in Kerala.

A suo motu case has also been filed in the Supreme Court over the recent deaths. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the plea on September 9.