RIGA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- A woman in Latvia's southeastern city of Daugavpils has died of what is suspected to be rabies, Latvian health authorities said Thursday.
The Latvian Center for Disease Prevention and Control, which is investigating the suspected rabies case, said in a statement to the media that lab tests are being conducted in collaboration with the Institute for Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment (BIOR) and that initial results suggest the patient had rabies.
In cooperation with the Food and Veterinary Service, the Center for Disease Prevention and Control is trying to identify the source of the infection. According to information obtained by the health authorities, the deceased woman could have contracted the infection either in Latvia or a foreign country.
The final confirmation of the diagnosis is still being awaited.
Meanwhile, epidemiologists have been identifying persons who had had contact with the patient, and 60 people are being vaccinated against rabies.
The last case of rabies in a human patient in Latvia was recorded in 2003, and the last two cases of rabies in animals were recorded in 2012.
