Prayagraj: An 11-year-old boy, bitten by a dog last year in Kohdar village, Meja tehsil, underwent an unusual transformation. Despite receiving anti-rabies injections, the boy began exhibiting dog-like behaviour, barking at family members and outsiders, altering his lying and sitting style, and even attempting to mimic a dog’s actions by licking his parents and wagging his tail during meals.
Concerned, his parents took him to Colvin Hospital, where it was diagnosed that he was suffering from a rare condition known as lycanthropy. The child is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Despite receiving received prompt anti-rabies injection after being bitten last year, a few weeks later, he started showing canine behaviour, particularly at night. Despite initial attempts to correct his behaviour through scolding, there was no improvement. Consequently, he was taken to Moti Lal Nehru Divisional Hospital (Colvin).
Medical examinations at Moti Lal Nehru Divisional Hospital revealed the child to be physically healthy. Subsequently, he was referred to the mental health department, where a psychiatrist diagnosed him with lycanthropy or lycomania. This condition, affecting only a rare few, causes individuals to behave according to their thoughts.
During his counselling sessions, the boy expressed his belief that he had transformed into a dog after the dog bite, no longer considering himself human. Doctors have commenced his treatment for this unusual condition.
This case marks the second instance at Colvin Hospital’s mental ward. A year ago, a 16-year-old from Koraon tehsil, who believed himself to be a wolf after watching horror movies, was treated successfully after seven months. His nighttime wolf-like howling and attacks on village goats ceased with the appropriate intervention.
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