Man died shortly after supposedly harmless cat bite

After Morocco trip: Briton dies of cat bite on rabies

A British citizen died of rabies following a holiday in Morocco. The man apparently became infected after being bitten by a cat in the North African country. The last rabies case in Germany was also due to an infection in Morocco.

Avoid contact with animals

A British man died after getting into rabies on a trip to Morocco. The British health authority Public Health England (PHE) said the man was infected by a cat bite. In a statement, the experts are now calling on citizens traveling to rabies-affected countries to avoid contact with animals, otherwise they risk being infected.

A British man died of rabies after a holiday in Morocco. The man had been infected by a cat bite. Health experts advise travelers to vaccinate. (Image: Saklakova / fotolia.com)

Patient was not vaccinated in time

According to the British newspaper The Guardian, Jimmy Whitworth, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told The Press Association news agency:

"As far as I understand, the man had contact with a cat that behaved unusually."

He assumed that the patient was seeking medical help in Morocco and the UK "but unfortunately did not receive a vaccine until it was too late. I think the cat bit that person a few weeks ago. "

According to the expert, the symptoms usually take two to three months, or they could manifest in one week.

"That's why it's so important to get immediate care and vaccination," says Whitworth. "In this tragic case, the person did not get the vaccine in time."

Rabies demands tens of thousands every year

According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, around 59,000 people die of rabies each year worldwide. In Germany, the dangerous infectious disease was virtually eradicated.

Only in bats, the virus could be detected in this country in recent years, which is why experts warn that they never touch the animals with their bare hands.

"For people living in Germany, there are currently increased risks of infection almost exclusively when traveling to countries with endemic occurrence of rabies," writes the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on its website.

Therefore, according to health experts, especially with long-distance travel always the risk of rabies should be considered.

Infections by dog ​​bites

"Most human deaths are the result of bites from rabies infected dogs. While dogs are the main reservoir for the classic rabies virus, foxes have been foxes in Germany in the past, "says the RKI.

Even if damaged skin or the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose or eye, for example, come into contact with infected dog saliva, the virus can be transmitted.

However, the last rabies case in Germany is a long time ago. It was a man bitten by a stray dog ​​in Morocco in 2007.

There is no cure for rabies

"If you are bitten, scratched or licked by an animal, you must wash the wound or the place of exposure with plenty of soap and water and seek medical attention immediately," Dr. Mary Ramsay from the PHE health authority.

When waiting to see if rabies symptoms appear, it is usually already too late for therapy.

An infection with the rabies pathogen is usually treated with an immediate active vaccine and with special antibodies (immunoglobulin). A preventive vaccine is also available.

There is no cure for rabies. While the disease does not break out in anyone who has become infected, it does end up nearly 100 percent deadly.

Without treatment, the infection very quickly leads to death

After an infection, uncharacteristic symptoms such as headache and loss of appetite first occur. Fever does not occur in all.

Also, burning, itching and increased sensitivity to pain in the bite area are possible. At this stage, it may already be too late for treatment.

Later, it comes to cramping in the throat muscles and considerable fear of drinking. The mental state of the patients alternates between aggressive and depressive moods.

"Death usually occurs in a coma and under the signs of respiratory paralysis. Between the onset of the first symptoms and death, untreated patients have a maximum of 7 days, "writes the RKI. (Ad)