Selasa, 29 Mei 2012

Woman who contracted rabies after being bitten by dog during Asian holiday dies of disease

Woman who contracted rabies after being bitten by dog during Asian holiday dies of disease

By Rob Preece

PUBLISHED: 13:24 EST, 28 May 2012 | UPDATED: 04:05 EST, 29 May 2012

A grandmother who caught rabies after being bitten by a dog in India has died, it emerged last night.

The unnamed patient had been undergoing treatment in an isolation unit at University College Hospital, London.

It was the first case of rabies to occur in England in seven years.

Fatal: The woman who died was being treated at London's Hospital for Tropical Diseases (pictured)

Fatal: The woman who died was being treated at London's Hospital for Tropical Diseases (pictured)

A spokesman for the hospital said: ‘We regret to announce that a patient being treated for rabies by the Hospital for Tropical Diseases and colleagues at University College Hospital died over the weekend.

‘The patient’s family have kindly requested for the media to respect their privacy during this very difficult time and we will not be releasing any further details, nor will the family be making any statements. Our sincere condolences go out to them.’

The woman is believed to have caught the illness from a puppy while visiting India with her husband.

Specialist treatment: The patient is in an isolation room at University College Hospital, London (above) after developing symptoms within the last fortnight

Specialist treatment: The patient had been treated in an isolation room at University College Hospital, London

Last week it emerged that she had been sent away by NHS staff on three separate occasions who had failed to spot the illness.

She first visited her GP two weeks ago complaining of sickness.

Two days later she went to the AE unit at Darent Valley hospital in Dartford, Kent â€" where she is believed to have been visiting relatives or friends â€" only to be sent home again. She returned the next day but the hospital refused to admit her, believing she was suffering from a mild illness.

Investigation: Five members of staff at Darent Valley Hospital have been vaccinated after coming into contact with the woman

Investigation: The woman was reportedly turned away twice from the Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Kent

It was only when she visited her GP again four days after the first appointment that she was finally referred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, South-East London, with suspected rabies.

The hospital sent her on to UCLH which has specialists in certain rare illnesses.

Professor Tom Solomon, of the Institute of Infection and Global Health at the University of Liverpool, said the mortality rate of rabies was ‘almost 100 per cent’.

‘Almost everyone who gets bitten but doesn’t seek help will die within a few weeks of the symptoms startin g to show,’ he said.

Deadly: The grandmother's illness is the first case of rabies in England in almost seven years. The last occurred in July 2005 when a woman died after contracting it from a dog bite during a holiday in the Indian resort of Goa, pictured

Deadly: The grandmother's illness is the first case of rabies in England in almost seven years. The last occurred in July 2005 when a woman died after contracting it from a dog bite during a holiday in the Indian resort of Goa, pictured

Rare: Naturalist David McRae (pictured) became the first person in Britain to die of the disease for 100 years after he was bitten on the hand by a rabid bat in 2002

Rare: Naturalist David McRae (pictured) became the first person in Britain to die of the disease for 100 years after he was bitten on the hand by a rabid bat in 2002

Killer: Rabies viruses showing their characteristic bullet shape. The disease has an extremely low survival rate once symptoms have developed

Killer: Rabies viruses showing their characteristic bullet shape. The disease has an extremely low survival rate once symptoms have developed

Vaccination programme: Although all but eradicated in the UK rabies is still common in developing countries

Vaccination programme: Although all but eradicated in the UK rabies is still common in developing countries

A DEADLY VIRAL INFECTION WHICH KILLS ABOUT 55,000 PEOPLE EACH YEAR

Lethal: There are about 55,000 cases of rabies worldwide each year. Half of all rabies cases occur in India, the Taj Mahal is pictured

Lethal: There are about 55,000 cases of rabies worldwide each year. Half of all rabies cases occur in India, the Taj Mahal is pictured

Rabies is a viral infection which targets the nervous system and the brain.

It is only spread by infected animals to humans, most often through the animal biting or scratching the person.

It can also be spread by an animal's saliva bei ng in contact with a graze or cut on a human's skin.

The majority of rabies cases result from being bitten by an infected dog.

The symptoms of the illness include high temperatures, numbness at the area where the bite occurred and hallucinations.

Some victims also have hydrophobia, which is a fear of water.

There are about 55,000 cases of rabies worldwide each year with most cases occurring in Africa and Asia.

But half of all rabies cases occur in India.

The grandmother's illness is the first case of rabies in England in almost seven years.

The last occurred in July 2005 when a woman from Manchester died after contracting it from a dog bite during a holiday in the Indian resort of Goa.

Most cases of rabies in the UK occur from people infected abroad or from quarantined animals.

Since 1946, 24 people have died who have been infected with rabies abroad. A total of four o f these have occurred since 2000.

In 2003, it was discovered that UK bats may be carrying a rabies-like virus.

A bat handler died after contracting the virus in Scotland.


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That woman never told docs a dog in that great country of India had bit her! Had she been honest and upfront her life would've been saved! A lesson to be learned! Always tell gp everything u know about your condition! Why she didn't or put the two together or why her husband never said anything well never know but it was way to late by the time they fessed up! I'm sorry she's gone but she really should've mentioned that HUGE FACT!

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The poor woman didn't just die, she DIED!! Why can't the DM Just write a story in a sensible manner?

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Terrible way to die. Poor lady. It seems she didn't tell the doctors about the dog bite, so I guess rabies wouldn't have really occurred to them until it was too late. RIP x

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Once you have rabies you WILL die. That is a fact. 100% mortaility rate. Doesn't matter when you seek help. It's always too late. Everyone who gets rabies always dies. 100% of the time - so anyone who thinks differently is wrong. Condolescences for this ladies family and friends.

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She should have got treatment immediately, not wait for weeks while the disease took hold. She wasn't a young naive backpacker, she must have known the risks.

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"Why can't the authorities implement some system whereas vaccination is required if visiting these countries, and passports endorsed accordingly. If there is no proof of vaccination, then entry should be refused." ....... Bertiesmum, Sheffield England, 29/5/2012 09:58...............The vaccination is very expensive. If vaccintaion were compulsory, people would not take holidays in India so tourism would be finished. Death from rabies is extremely rare in UK. Much more education is needed so that anyone who is bitten or licked by a dog (and has any sort of open wound - every small scratch), should go straight for medical care. Then there is some hope for them. Travel clinics in UK should make that REALLY clear to any travellers to India. When I went, I asked the Travel nurse all about it and she looked up information and printed it out for me. I was working in a children's home and they had a dog - we were assured it was vaccinated but we still took car e.

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If you read the earlier articles about this sad situation you would have seen that she did not mention any dog bite or any foreign travel to the doctors who saw her . Unfortunateley doctors can only base a diagnosis on the information they have available

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It is a little unfair to blame the medical staff who failed to spot it. Many things can cause 'sickness' and doctors would not immediately assume rabies unless a patients mentions they have recently been bitten abroad.

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I had mild whiplash 3 years ago. I got injured by someone else, I got 10k. Fair is fair.

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They have a vaccination to prevent rabies... why is this not suggested when traveling to India/Africa?

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