Grandmother dies of rabies

A woman being treated for rabies in London after being bitten by a dog in south Asia has died.

The woman, believed to be a grandmother in her fifties, was reportedly turned away twice by doctors at Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Kent, before she was finally diagnosed

She was being treated at London's Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

In a statement, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: "We regret to announce that a patient being treated for rabies by the Hospital for Tropical Diseases and colleagues at University College Hospital died over the weekend.

"The patient's family have kindly requested for the media to respect their privacy during this very difficult time and we will not be releasing any further details, nor will the family be making any statements."

Rabies is usually transferred through saliva from the bite of an infected animal, with dogs being the most common transmitter of rabies to humans.

More than 55,000 people are estimated to die from the disease every year, with most cases occurring in developing countries, particularly south and south-east Asia.

The hospital previously reassured patients, visitors and staff there was no risk to them as a result of the case.

An investigation was launched into how the woman was reportedly turned away from the hospital emergency department.

A spokesman for Darent Valley Hospital last week said: "The UK is rabies-free. If a patient does present at hospital with vague symptoms, a doctor is unlikely to consider rabies as a diagnosis unless the patient highlights wild animal contact in an at-risk country."