Rabies kills British woman after encounter with Moroccan puppy
A British woman has died from rabies after she had been scratched by a puppy in Morocco, her family have revealed. Yvonne Ford, 59, from South Yorkshire, had a “light contact,” according to the BBC, with a stray dog while on holiday in February in Morocco.
In a social media post, her family reported that she had developed a headache two weeks ago, adding that she later couldn’t “walk, talk, sleep, swallow.” She was diagnosed at Barnsley Hospital after returning to the UK, the hospital trust confirmed, and she would later be transferred to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield. On 11th June, she was declared dead and an inquest was later opened in Sheffield.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed that there is no risk to the wider public. This is because there is no documented evidence of rabies passing between people.
Her family “is still processing this unimaginable loss,” her daughter, Robyn Thomson said in a Facebook post. “She was scratched very slightly by a puppy in Morocco in February,” she wrote. “At the time, she did not think any harm would come of it and didn’t think much of it. Two weeks ago she became ill, starting with a headache and resulted in her losing her ability to walk, talk, sleep, swallow. Resulting in her passing.”
Health workers and close contacts of Mrs Ford were being assessed and offered vaccines if necessary as a precaution, according to a spokesperson from UKHSA. Rabies has been eradicated in the UK since the early 20th century, but the risk does remain in some regions in the world.
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