Tourist, 24, dies after catching rabies from stray puppy on holiday with friends
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- 11:45, 10 MAY 2019
- Updated12:34, 10 MAY 2019
A woman has died after catching rabies from a stray puppy while on holiday, it has emerged.
Birgitte Kallestad, 24, and her friends were riding mopeds in the Asian country when the group found the four-legged animal.
Animal lover Birgitte took him back in the basket of her scooter.
The group of pals then washed and groomed the dog and began to play with it.
All of the group suffered minor scrapes and bites from the pup on the trip.
They returned home to Norway in February after and Birgitte soon became unwell.
She died on Monday in the hospital where she was a health worker, the BBC reports.
She had been receiving treatment there for eight days.
In a heartbreaking statement, Birgitte's family said: "Our dear Birgitte loved animals.
"Our fear is that this will happen to others who have a warm heart like her."
Rabies can be cured with a simple injection – but it can be deadly if it goes untreated
Tragic Birgitte is the first person to die from the virus in Norway in over 200 years.
Her devastated family have called for compulsory rabies vaccines for Norwegians travelling to the Philippines.
Health officials have been in touch with 77 people who have been in contact with her, Mail Online reports.
It's believed 31 of those have now beenvaccinated.
The Philippines government declared rabies a public health problem after a spate of deaths in recent years.
It is believed around 200 people die from a rabies related illness there every year.
Earlier this year, the country's health department revealed plans to eradicate the virus completely by 2030.
The initiative involved a campaign urging people to get their pets vaccinated.
A health spokesman said: "We have made great strides in eliminating rabies particularly in the Visayas region where a number of provinces were declared rabies free.
"It is my hope to declare Philippines a rabies-free country by 2030."
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