24-year-old Norwegian tourist dies of rabies after saving a puppy from the street during a holiday in the Philippines

A Norwegian tourist died of rabies after being bitten by a stray dog ​​that she rescued from the streets of the Philippines.

Birgitte Kallestad, 24, from Hordaland on the west coast of Norway, died Monday night – more than two months after being in contact with the dog during a trip with friends in February.

According to a statement from Birgitte's family, the group was riding with a moped when it came across a wandering puppy on the roadside, which Birgitte was wearing. in her basket and resumed at the station where she was staying.

After washing and grooming the dog, Birgitte and his friends played with him in the garden.

Birgitte's family said that everyone suffered slight bites and scratches from the dog during this period – as do most puppy owners.

Birgitte, who was a health worker at the Førde Central Hospital, is neat and has sterilized the scrapes herself.

The cuts were so small that no one saw the need for additional medical supervision, the family said.

It was only after the 24 year old girl returned home to Norway that she began to feel bad.

The first symptoms of rabies include fever and headaches, but as the disease worsens, patients may experience hallucinations, muscle spasms, and respiratory failure.

Doctors struggled to diagnose the problem and no one, not even Birgitte herself, associated her illness with a dog's bite.

It has been more than 200 years since rabies was detected for the last time on the Norwegian mainland.

She was hospitalized several times due to a worsening of her health condition, before finally being admitted on a full-time basis, said the family.

Finally, a doctor from the Førde hospital suspected that Birgitte's symptoms were signs of rabies.

Samples sent to the Swedish public health authority confirmed these suspicions on Saturday.

Neither Birgitte nor any of the people with whom she was traveling had been vaccinated against the disease, because it is not on the list of vaccines required for the Philippines, unless you plan to visit areas where hygiene and hygiene are poor.

Birgitte's family is now campaigning for rabies to be included in the program for the Philippines and other places where it is possible to contract the disease in street animals.

"Our dear Birgitte loved animals," said a spokesman for the family.

"We fear that this is happening to others who have a warm heart like her. We want this vaccine to be included in the program for places where it can become rabid and people become aware of the dangers.

"If we succeed, the death of our sunshine can save others."

Birgitte died Monday night, eight days after admission to the hospital where she worked.

"It's a terribly heavy case and a burden for the family," said the infectious disease consultant Jens Eikås to VG.

The other people who were on the trip and who were also in contact with the dog were alerted and the trust for the health of Norway has so far been in contact with 77 people who have been in contact with the Birgitte.

Of these, 31 were vaccinated, according to local media.