UK woman dies of rabies after scratch from stray puppy in Morocco

A UK woman has died after contracting rabies during a visit to Morocco, according to health officials. The individual was infected after contact with a stray dog.

The woman has been identified by her family as Yvonne Ford. In a statement shared publicly, her family said she was scratched “very slightly” by a puppy during a trip in February and did not initially seek medical care.

“She 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,” the family wrote. “Our family is still processing this unimaginable loss, but we are choosing to speak up in the hope of preventing this from happening to others.”

According to a statement on Wednesday by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the woman was diagnosed in Yorkshire and the Humber region in England. UKHSA said there is no risk to the wider public, as rabies does not spread from person to person. Close contacts and healthcare workers are being assessed and offered precautionary vaccination where appropriate.

Rabies is nearly always fatal once symptoms begin, but infection is preventable with timely post-exposure treatment. The virus is typically transmitted through bites or scratches from infected animals.

UKHSA said that travellers to countries where rabies is endemic should avoid contact with animals and seek medical advice immediately if bitten, scratched, or licked.

“I would like to extend my condolences to this individual’s family at this time,” said Dr. Katherine Russell, Head of Emerging Infections and Zoonoses at UKHSA. “If you are bitten, scratched or licked by an animal in a country where rabies is found, you should wash the site with plenty of soap and water and seek medical advice without delay.”

Rabies does not circulate among wild or domestic animals in the UK, although some bats can carry a rabies-like virus. Human cases of rabies acquired in the UK from animals other than bats have not been reported since 1902. From 2000 to 2024, six cases of rabies linked to animal exposures abroad were reported in the UK.

UKHSA reiterated that rabies is common in parts of Asia and Africa and urged travellers to consider vaccination before visiting affected areas.