Imported rabies in a quarantine centre in the United Kingdom

On the evening of 25 April 2008, the Health Protection Agency of the United Kingdom (UK) was informed that rabies had been confirmed through post-mortem examination of a dog that had died that same day in a quarantine centre in London. The dog, approximately 10 weeks old, had been imported from Sri Lanka, through Heathrow Airport in London, on 17 April by a charity that 'rescues' stray animals from that country and imports them into the UK. The public health response was undertaken through the coordinated activities of the authorities responsible for animal and human public health respectively. .