A patient is being treated for suspected rabies in a Northern Ireland hospital . The Public Health Agency ( PHA ) confirmed the person had recently travelled in an area affected by the disease . They are being assessed in accordance with the 'national risk assessment protocol ' at the Royal Victoria Hospital , Belfast , the PHA added . A patient at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast is being tested for suspected rabies . Lisa McMurray died at the Royal Victoria Hospital , Belfast , in 2009 after contracting rabies while working in South Africa . 'The patient is currently being treated in the Royal Victoria Hospital , Belfast , and is being tested for a number of diseases including rabies , ' said a spokeswoman . The results of the 'complex ' series of tests are not expected to be known until early next week . The PHA refused to reveal any details about the patient , including their gender , age or their condition . Transmission is generally through the bite of an infected animal , usually dogs , but also cats , bats and other wildlife . In the UK , the viral infection that attacks the brain and nervous system has been largely eliminated from the animal population . The NHS website states infections are mostly picked up during travel abroad and are almost always fatal unless early treatment is received . Animal career Lisa McMurray died at the same Belfast hospital in 2009 after contracting rabies . It was thought she contracted the infection while working at an animal sanctuary in South Africa . Ms McMurray had told friends she had been injured while separating two fighting dogs . Today the PHA said there was no increased risk to the wider community as a result of the latests possible case . They stressed that a course of rabies vaccination could prevent infection . Rabies can spread to humans from infected animals through a bite , a scratch , or a lick to broken skin or the eye . You may also be at risk if an animal spits in your face . In very rare cases , rabies can be spread during an organ transplant . Once it enters the body , the rabies virus multiplies before spreading into nerve endings . It then travels to the spinal cord and brain ( the central nervous system ) . Once the virus is in the central nervous system , it multiplies rapidly and spreads to the salivary glands , lungs , kidneys and other organs . Symptoms include high temperature , fear of water , and sensitivity to light . Rabies is almost always fatal unless treated very early . ( Source NHS )
Public Health Agency infected patient is being tested for rabies in hospital . Say that the person had recently traveled to area affected by virus . Rabies is a viral virus that affects the brain and nervous system .