Travelers must avoid animals in developing countries

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

The death of a British woman from rabies in Goa has prompted experts to warn of the danger of contact with animals when abroad.
Rabies is a potentially fatal complication of a trip to far-flung countries. This has been underlined by the recent death of a woman from the UK after being bitten by a dog in Goa, India, a popular tourist destination. According to experts at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Weybridge, England, rabies results in 40,000 deaths a year worldwide, so the threat must never be taken lightly.

In this case, the women had shooting pains in her lower back and left leg. She had been bitten by a puppy during a holiday in Goa three and a half months earlier. At the time, she did not seek medical help as the injury seemed slight. But she died 18 days after admission to hospital in the UK. The message is clear. If you are visiting a country where rabies is endemic - check with the Foreign Department for the latest information - then you must take great care not to have contact with animals such as dogs or cats.

Source
British Medical Journal 3rd September 2005

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