Greater Noida Woman Dies of Rabies After Drinking Infected Cow’s Milk: Symptoms, Risks & Prevention

Greater Noida Woman Dies of Rabies After Drinking Infected Cow’s Milk: A rare and alarming occurrence of animal-to-human transmission was reported in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, where in a unique case, the woman died of rabies after contracting the disease through cow milk.

As per media reports, the cow was rabid after being bitten by a stray dog.

She developed symptoms days after drinking the milk. However, neither she nor her family suspected the cow was rabid. Even as the animal began to show signs and was subsequently vaccinated, she did not seek help.

Distraught family members took her from one hospital to another but were all turned away. A few doctors from the district hospital sent her home, where she died soon after, according to News18.

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The cow had delivered a calf two months ago. Its milk was consumed not only by the family but also by villagers. Once the rabies infection was confirmed, at least ten villagers sought post-exposure rabies vaccination, one source cited by News18 stated.

What is rabies?

Rabies is a viral zoonoses and belongs to the Lyssavirus genus of the Rhabdoviridae family. Rabies is a zoonotic disease primarily transmitted from rabid animals to humans.

"It affects the central nervous system (CNS), leading to progressive and fatal inflammation of the brain and spinal cord," he says, adding, "Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal. The virus is transmitted to humans primarily through the bite or scratch of an infected animal, commonly dogs, but also bats, foxes, raccoons and other mammals."

Does cow milk contain rabies virus?

According to ICAR report, rabid animals can shed rabies virus through their milk. Consuming such milk without boiling where infection is possible.

The report says that 'drinking unboiled milk' comes under Category I expose to rabies. Other actions that fall under this category include being licked by an infected animal; rabid animal's saliva comes into contact with intact mucous membranes, e.g., mouth, nose, anus, genitals, eyes; bites that didn't draw blood.

Differentiating patients based on the type of exposure becomes important for treatment. In injuries considered as potential rabies exposure, Post-exposure anti-rabies vaccination and Immunoglobulin administration are done depending on the severity of exposure. Then patients are categorized into three groups of exposures, namely Category I, Category II, and Category III, whereby those in Categories II or III will require vaccination, ICAR explained.

Dr. Janam, however, explains that the rabies virus, under normal circumstances, isn't found in cow milk. Only in extremely rare and unlikely cases where rabies do infect the cow, especially during late stages of infection, the secretions, perhaps including the milk, can become infectious. "Nonetheless, rabies is not considered a foodborne disease and transmission via milk—especially pasteurised milk—has not been documented in scientific literature."

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The WHO and CDC agree that ingestion of raw milk from a rabid animal may theoretically pose a risk, but this is certainly not documented transmission route.

Symptom onset could be weeks to months after the exposure and is a sign that the disease will likely end in death.

Early rabies symptoms are vague and similar to the flu.

"An infected person may experience fever, headache, weakness, general discomfort, and sensations like itching, tingling, or burning around the bite site," explains Dr Janam. He adds, "In the final stage, the infection causes coma, respiratory failure, and ultimately leads to death."

Once onset of symptoms, rabies is nearly fatal. So, treatment could not be given again after the onset of symptoms.

"The only established approach is supportive care in intensive settings, which includes managing respiratory failure and seizures," Dr Janam says.

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