First person to die of Rabies in France in decades.
Worth noting that once the symptoms arrive.. it is tooo late.
But the vaccine can be successful if applied when one has been scratched/bitten but with no symptoms.
Which explains why (some years ago) OH was asked to rush a neighbour to the Doctor after being attacked and bitten by a marauding dog… he got the jab “just in case” (much the best way).
Blimey, that’s alarming, I had no idea it was so lethal, as in too late when detected.
But I am pleased that I checked that it had nothing to do with hedgehogs (guerison, had to look that up 
)
Not surprised as we have daily scheduled flights to Morocco and Algeria from here and people come and go like commuters. It was only a question of time before someone bought it back from those places and its not even made much in the local Perpignan news either. My son was sent to the SMIT dept when he was taken ill with what was later discovered to be his spleen necrotising last year but they kept on and on and on about which part of the african continent had he been to, which of course he had not, so they were obviously on their toes over suspicious ailments.
It isn’t transmittable from a person… it is the bite of a rabid animal which gives the person rabies… if one is bitten (in whichever country), one should immediately get the jab… sounds as if there was an unfortunate delay in this instance
EDIT admitted to Perpignan hospital 18th Sept and dead on 25th Sept…
By bringing it back I meant as a disease already in the system. Obviously the dog that bit him had it and those places are where you don’t pet dogs you don’t know.
There’s a lot of news coverage around Perpignan now although none seems to say it was definitely a dog… unless I missed that bit in all the hoohah
A lesson to all of us… if you get bitten by whatever, get the jab… just in case…
Not just a bite actually. I believe even a drop of saliva on the skin may do it.
according to Google… other ways to catch Rabies..
“In rare cases, rabies can be spread when infected saliva gets into an open wound or the mucous membranes, such as the mouth or eyes.
Scratches, abrasions, open wounds, or mucous membranes contaminated with saliva or other potentially infectious material (such as brain tissue) from a rabid animal constitute non-bite exposures.
Some years ago, rabies cases were reported from persons possibly inhaling the virus during visits to bat caves. However, research suggests that these cases were likely to be in persons who were bitten without realising it. Even if you have been bitten a few days, weeks or months ago, it is never too late to start treatment (so long as symptoms have not appeared.)….. “
of course, this is why it’s so important to ensure that no-one brings any animals/whatever to France which are not jabbed against Rabies.. got to try and keep France Rabies-Free…. 
We have our dog’s rabies vaccinated but I do sometimes wonder if about the semi wild cats that wander about our village. Numerous villagers feed them and give them names but essentially they are not really covered medically beyond the Mairie’s periodic roundups for sterilisation. The village is amidst fruit farm land, so there are rongeurs about. Perhaps I shouldn’t be petting every dog and cat I see 
Where I lived previously in Finistère, I had all my cats and the dog vaccinated against rabies religiously every year as I can remember when there was an outbreak going back some years down in the SW and every animal that could not be proven to be vaccinated was euthanised.
On the basis that this is 1 incident in the whole of France, and I would imagine and hope that the relevant body are investigating the area looking for animals that may also be affected. It’s a very tiny risk. The vaccine is mandatory so in all the years we were told at school about going to France and we imagined rabid animals at every other street corner.
I take it you mean for foreign arrivers, it isn’t mandatory in France for French dogs. I always had my own vaccinated here but my current dog belongs to an association which does not insist on it.
Really David, didn’t know that, a bit short sighted IMO, still if that is the case and we hope most owners do get their pets vaccinated it does show the risk is tiny then and long may it stay that way.
and the person who died had recently returned from abroad.
I still can’t find confirmation in the French Press that the infection took place in that far away land, but Rabies is rife there and is (by all accounts) not present in France…
As I say, there is no proof where the infection actually happened, but it is recommended that folk who travel-regularly/stay-a-while in certain Rabies-rife countries do get the anti-rabies vaccination… as a precaution.
and in such a country, keep away from such wildlife and get to a Doctor immediately is anything iffy happens…
Well, you prompted me to check Jules passport and it turns out he is vaccinated against rabies ‘till 2027 (it’s a 3 yearly thing) so perhaps the vet knew my personal views and did it anyway. I am very happy with that and if the latest candidate, Hades, stays and reaches that time, I’ll do the same for him.
Edit: I am doubly pleased, he is vaccinated ‘till the end of 2027 too. 
Perhaps it is because they have foreign papers, Jules’ is Spanish and Hades’ Portuguese. 
That’s good news both from health and the financial perspective. Ours need their 3 year jab before mid June as their first French one only covers a year.
Well there has been no mention locally in the Perp region since the initial story broke and then only one report so obviously under containment.
There was an article this morning in Sud Ouest (Santé section) … about what to do if one is bitten/scratched by a dog.
Blowed if I can find it now… aaaargh…
It did make interesting reading, calmly giving advice to the victim about how to clean the wound etc and to get checked by own Doc (or any Doc) asap and report the incident to the Mairie.
(Victim/someone should dial 15 if wound is really bad)
Interestingly, the Dog Owner also has to report the incident to the Mairie and the Insurers of the Dog.
The Dog (no matter which breed) must be checked by the Vet and remain under control/observation for a couple of weeks or so.
and every professional involved throughout (Doc/Vet etc etc) has a duty to report the ”incident”.
Yes, we know Rabies isn’t (to our knowledge) present in France but that does not negate the need for caution and appropriate action.
I think rabies is also carried by bats. Not sure how prevalent it is in Europe but it’s another way to be infected.
I think today’s article in Sud Ouest was aimed at alerting the Dog Owner to the Laws and also advising the Victim… as to the correct procedure.
No way should a victim be allowed to wait tooo long to see a Doc (which is what happened to the person who died recently..)
If the attack is reported to the Mairie, procedures can be rolled out…
Any bite by Bat, Dog, Cat (mad woman etc) should be investigated..
