Norwegian traveller dies from rabies after rescuing puppy in Philippines
JUL 30, 2019
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A young, Norwegian woman died on 6th May 2019, one month after rescuing a sick puppy in the Philippines. She had apparently only sustained very minor scrapes to her skin (i.e. Category II exposure) and had not sought post-exposure treatment (PET) for rabies. She had not been previously vaccinated.
Most travellers who have acquired rabies since 1990 were exposed in Asia (40%). The top five countries of exposure during this period were: Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal, China and India (in descending order).
Rabies has the highest case fatality rate of any infectious disease in humans and is entirely preventable by pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), followed by a booster in the event of a bite.
** PS: On 23rd July 2019, WHO also reported the discovery of three fake rabies vaccines in the Philippines, copying the brands: Verorab, Speeda and Rabipur, and one fake rabies immunoglobulin: Equirab. This highlights the importance of getting reliable rabies vaccination prior to travel. **
