Rabies had caused the death of a six-year-old boy with muscle degeneration in Qingyuan in northern Guangdong, domestic media reported Thursday.
Guangdong provincial health authorities came to the conclusion after gathering medical experts Wednesday to examine the case.
The boy, Luo Xiong, was scratch- ed by a stray cat two months ago, without attending to the injury or having rabies vaccine.
One week before his death Monday, Luo developed symptoms such as a fear of water and wind, and continual muscle spasms, which were typical of rabies, medical experts said.
Rabies had also been reported in Luo s residential area in the past two years.
Before confirmation, the muscle degeneration was suspected of being Haff disease, which led to the poisoning of people who ate crayfish in Nanjing last year.
Haff disease is a serious condition that causes a breakdown of skeletal muscle and acute kidney failure. The condition is caused by eating fish and shellfish that carry an unknown toxin.
But the boy had not eaten crayfish, his family said. (Li Hao)
