Although it is preventable by vaccination, rabies is a fatal condition. Once the infection has reached the clinical stage it is almost always fatal. There is no treatment for the paralytic form the patient is believed to have in this case.

When was the last case of rabies in Britain?

The last case acquired inside Britain was in 1902. But there have been around 20 cases imported to the UK since 1946.

How do you get rabies?

Rabies is nearly always passed by bites from infected animals. Although the disease is very rare in British bats, anyone bitten by one should seek medical help as soon as possible.

What are the symptoms?

The disease attacks the central nervous system. Patients often complain initially of fever and headaches. With paralytic rabies, paralysis begins in the feet, before spreading up through the legs and arms and eventually to the head.

Are we in any danger from bats?

No. We rarely come into contact with the animals and the disease is very rare in Britain: there have only been two known cases among British bats. People working with the animals are routinely vaccinated.

Can bats pass rabies on to other animals?

No. European bat lyssavirus can only be passed to humans.

Can humans infect each other?

No. There are no known cases of humans passing the virus among one another, except for during corneal implants. But people who have been in close contact with an infected patient are often offered immunisation as a precaution.