Travellers warned of virus that is 'almost always fatal' now found in over 150 countries

Health experts have issued a warning to anyone travelling abroad about an “extremely serious” infection found in more than 150 countries worldwide. In “almost all” cases, this virus leads to death.

In an update, Travel Health Pro advised holidaymakers to check to see if their destination is affected by rabies. Rabies is a viral disease that spreads through the saliva of infected animals.

If you are bitten or scratched by an infected animal, it can result in hallucinations, difficulty breathing and even paralysis. On its website, Travel Health Pro said: “It is important that travellers visiting rabies endemic areas are aware of the risk and know what to do if they are bitten or scratched.

“Rabies is present in more than 150 countries and territories on all continents, apart from Antarctica. Tens of thousands of people die each year from rabies, mainly in Asia and Africa, with 40% being children under 15 years of age.”

While rabies cases in travellers are “rare”, they are “invariably” fatal. “Bites and scratches from potentially rabid animals occur more frequently and it is often difficult to determine whether an animal is infected,” it added.

This month, Spanish officials confirmed a case in a traveller who had been bitten by a dog in Ethopia. And in 2023 a French traveller was infected after visiting Morocco.

In 2018, a Brit reportedly died after being bitten by a cat in Morocco.

The best way to protect yourself is to get vaccinated against rabies. Travel Health Pro advises checking its country information vaccine recommendations to see if rabies is present in bats, wild animals and/or domestic animals at your travel destination.

It said: “Consider a pre-exposure rabies vaccine course. This is especially important if you are travelling to a high-risk country and/or visiting remote areas, where medical care and rabies post-exposure treatment may not be readily available.”

In the UK, a rabies vaccine is not available for free on the NHS if it is for travel. You can get it from:

• Private travel vaccination clinics
• Pharmacies with travel health services
• Some GP surgeries (you still have to pay if the vaccine is for travel)

The NHS recommends getting advice at least eight weeks before going abroad, as some vaccines (including the rabies vaccine) need to be given several weeks before you travel.

While travelling you can also minimise your risk of rabies by avoiding contact with any wild and domestic animals/pets. Travel Health Pro says that animals that appear to be behaving normally can still be infectious.

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If you are bitten, scratched, or spat at by any animal abroad:

• Immediate: thorough wound washing with soap and water after animal contact is crucial
• Immediately flush the wound/area under a running tap for several minutes, then thoroughly wash with soap/detergent and water to remove saliva
• Apply a disinfectant like 70% alcohol or iodine solution and cover wound with a simple dressing
• If animal (bats included) saliva gets into your eyes, nose or mouth (i.e. if the animal coughs, spits or sneezes close to your face), wash your face thoroughly with clean water as soon as possible.

Travel Health Pro said: “Get urgent medical help, even if the wound or incident seems very trivial. Seek medical attention locally, do not wait until you return to the UK.”