A viral video circulating across social media recently gripped internet users, showing a five-year-old child in Kushtia’s Bheramara upazila exhibiting unusual behaviour and making cat-like “meow” sounds following a pet cat’s scratch. The footage quickly triggered public alarm, with many viewers drawing a direct and panicked parallel to rabies.
However, medical professionals and the child’s family have firmly dispelled these fears, confirming that the young girl is suffering from a panic attack rather than the fatal viral disease.
The child, identified as Mustarin Adrita, is currently receiving specialised care at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Mohakhali, Dhaka. Speaking about her daughter’s condition, Adrita’s mother clarified that the viral video misrepresents the medical reality.
“My daughter is now completely recovering,” she explained. “Doctors have identified the issue as a panic attack, not rabies.”
Providing background on her daughter’s medical history, the mother noted that Adrita has battled chronic cold and asthma complications for the past two years, remaining under the consistent care of a specialist physician in Kushtia. Recurrent respiratory distress has previously necessitated hospital admissions. When her condition recently flared, medical staff at Kushtia General Hospital transferred her to the capital’s Infectious Diseases Hospital for advanced diagnostic evaluations.
The family believes the psychological distress stemmed from a domestic change rather than feline transmission. Their household kept two pet cats that unexpectedly disappeared prior to the incident. The sudden absence of the pets generated severe emotional anxiety in the young child, which family and medical observers link to the subsequent panic episodes.
Addressing speculation surrounding the cat scratch mentioned online, Adrita’s mother confirmed that the scratch occurred long ago and that appropriate preventative measures were strictly observed. Both the child and the family’s household pets had been duly vaccinated at the time, mitigating any authentic risk of infection.
Medical authorities had previously urged calm before the transfer to Dhaka. On the afternoon of 22 August, Dr Iqbal Hossain, the Resident Medical Officer (RMO) of Kushtia General Hospital, stated that clinical examinations revealed no physical symptoms of rabies. He noted that unusual vocalisations and mimicking behaviour in children can stem from severe emotional distress, fear, acute panic, or psychological pressure rather than viral pathology.
Adrita’s mother noted that hospital consultants are currently reviewing the results of a recent chest X-ray. If the reports prove satisfactory, medical staff anticipate discharging her within a day or two, bringing a reassuring end to a widespread online scare.
