A Norwegian woman has died of rabies after being bitten by a stray puppy in the Philippines.

Birgitte Kallestad was on holiday with friends when they discovered the animal and took it back to their resort.

The 24-year-old fell ill after returning to Norway. She died on Monday at the hospital where she worked.

A family statement reported by Norway’s Verdens Gang newspaper said: “Our dear Birgitte loved animals.

“Our fear is that this will happen to others who have a warm heart like her.”

It urged travellers to the country to be vaccinated against the disease, explaining that health worker Birgitte had received small nips and scratches from the puppy – as had her friends – and simply cleaned them herself.

The BBC reports it is the first rabies-related death in Norway for more than 200 years.

Rabies is passed on through infected animals through injuries such as bites or scratches.

It does not spread from human to human.

The infection is not found in UK animals except in a small number of wild bats.

There have been no documented cases in the UK of humans acquiring rabies in animals other than bats since 1902.

But a single case of human rabies acquired from a bat was reported in 2002 in Scotland in a bat handler.

People who travel to an area of the world where rabies is common – such as Asia or Africa – are advised to consider vaccination, particularly if they intend to stay for at least a month or if they are planning activities which put them at increased risk of coming into contact with animals with rabies.

Public Health England said that travellers to rabies-affected countries should avoid contact with dogs, cats and other animals wherever possible, and seek advice about the need for a rabies vaccine prior to travel.

More country-specific information on rabies is available through the National Travel Health Network and Centre’s website.