Birgitte Kallestad, a 24 year old woman has died after being infected by rabies from a stray puppy in the Philippines. A statement by her family stated that the young Norwegian who was on holidays with her friends and found a stray puppy on the street. It was thought to have bitten her after they took it back to their resort.
According to a statement by her family, Birgitte Kallestad was on holiday with friends when they found the puppy on a street. The puppy is thought to have infected her when it bit her after they took it back to their resort. Shortly after she returned to Norway, she fell ill and died on Monday at the hospital where she worked making it the first rabies-related death in Norway for more than 200 years.
“Our dear Birgitte loved animals. Our fear is that this will happen to others who have a warm heart like her” her family said.
Norway’s government does not make rabies vaccinations compulsory for citizens travelling to the Philippines, but after her death, Ms Kallestad’s family has asked that the Government change the law. “If we can achieve this, the death of our sunbeam can save others,” the family said.
