First case of potentially fatal disease in 7 years reported in the UK

A patient is receiving hospital treatment after contracting rabies in south Asia. The patient is believed to have been bitten by a dog.

Whilst rabies has been eradicated in the UK, it is estimated to have killed 55 000 people worldwide last year, with the majority of cases occurring in south and south-east Asia. The eradication of rabies worldwide is a key issue of the One Health Initiative, which seeks to unite all medical science for the benefit of humans and animals.

It is imperative that the public receive rabies vaccines and do not approach dogs, cats or any animals they are unfamiliar with while abroad.

For more details visit The Guardian.