THE FIRST case of rabies in Northern Ireland in 70 years has been confirmed.
A woman, thought to be in her 30s, is being treated for the disease in a Belfast hospital.
It is thought the patient had been travelling abroad in an area affected by rabies and began to feel unwell some time after returning home.
In a detailed statement the Eastern Health and Social Services Board has said: "The patient has been treated in the Ulster Hospital and is now receiving treatment in the Royal Victoria Hospital - and poses no risk to other patients or to visitors."
It added: "Both hospitals are functioning normally, and there is no risk to the provision of their services. All necessary steps on infection control are in place for the protection of staff."
According to the board, cases of rabies in Northern Ireland remain very rare. Referring generally to the UK as a whole it said: "Since 1946, there have been 23 cases reported to the Health Protection Agency, with all of these having acquired the infection overseas, the most recent being in 2005."
Rabies is a notifiable disease in Northern Ireland and there have been no notifications of rabies in humans since 1938.
The Eastern Board and said its partner agencies are taking national expert advice from the Health Protection Agency and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency.
"The partner agencies working with the board include the Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Communicable Diseases Surveillance Centre .
"The board and its partner agencies are satisfied that all necessary steps to protect public health are in place and again stressed that any risk to the community is negligible."
Dr Graham Fry of the Tropical Medical Bureau said: "Rabies has a horrifically high mortality rate even in exceptional medical care facilities and it is essential that travellers understand the need to avoid all potential exposure.
"We also need to ensure that they understand the huge importance of receiving urgent medical treatment as early as possible following contact - and certainly well before any symptoms occur as by that stage it is too late." Dr Fry said even healthy-looking and -behaving animals can be infected.