A young woman dies of rabies after playing with a puppy lost in the Philippines

A 24-year-old Norwegian died after catching the rage of a stray dog ​​while she was on vacation in the Philippines.

Birgitte Kallestad was on vacation with friends in the Philippines in February. They were on a bike when they found a puppy on the side of the road.

Kallestad picked up the puppy, put her in the cart on her moped and brought her back to the resort where she and her friends were staying, said her family in a statement, previewed by the Daily Mail.

She washed and looked after the puppy. Later, Kallestad and his friends played with the dog in the garden.

The puppy had given him minor bites and small scratches during this period, according to Kallestad's family. She was neat and sterilized the wounds herself.

Kallestad paid more attention to scratches, as they were so small, said his family in his statement.

But one day after returning to Norway, Kallestad fell ill. The doctors were unable to diagnose her condition for a long time and Kallestad herself did not consider that the minor injuries caused by the bitch were related to her condition.

Her family said she had been hospitalized several times while her condition was worsening. Finally, she was admitted full-time. A doctor then suspected that his symptoms were indicative of rabies.

Tests reported by the Swedish Public Health Authority confirmed the suspicion of rabies on 4 May.

But it was too late. Kallestad died on May 6 at the hospital where she worked, approximately eight days after her full-time admission.

A 24-year-old Norwegian tourist dies of rabies after rescuing a puppy from the street https://t.co/2OKq84KLpu pic.twitter.com/u7GIC8gLuD

– Real News Reports (@ RealNewsReport1) May 10, 2019

"Our dear Birgitte loved animals," said a spokesman for the family, according to the BBC. "We fear that this happens to others who have a warm heart like her."

"We are very friendly with the family," said BBC Sir Feruglio, a medical officer at the Institute.

"[Rabies] is an endemic disease in 150 countries and a serious health problem, "he said.

According to the BBC, his death marks the first rabies-related death in Norway for more than 200 years.

"This is a terribly heavy case and a burden for the family," Jens Eikås, an infectious disease consultant, told VG.

The Daily Mail reported that Kallestad's friends, who had been in contact with the dog, had been informed. The Norwegian Health Trust also contacted at least 77 people who had contact with Kallestad, of whom 31 were vaccinated against rabies.

Under Norwegian legislation, anti-rabies vaccines are not mandatory. However, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health recommends rabies vaccines to certain countries, including the Philippines.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that while rabies can be treated 100%, thousands of people around the world still die of the disease each year.

According to the CDC, the most common mode of transmission of rabies is "by the bite and saliva of an infected host containing the virus". The rabies virus attacks the brain and the nervous system in humans and can cause death if it is not treated. within a few days of the onset of symptoms.

The first symptoms of rabies include headaches and fever.

"As the disease progresses, more specific symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, mild or partial paralysis, excitement, hallucinations, agitation, hypersalivation (increased saliva), difficulty swallowing, and hydrophobia (fear of death). Water) »CDC states.

"The decision to start vaccination, known as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), will be based on your type of exposure and the animal you have been exposed to, as well as on the laboratory information. and monitoring for the geographical area where the exhibition took place, "on the CDC website. States.

"In the United States, post-exposure prophylaxis involves administering one dose of immunoglobulin and four doses of rabies vaccine over a 14-day period."