Overview

• UK Health Security Agency confirmed that Yvonne Ford, a Barnsley resident, died after contracting rabies from a stray dog scratch during her holiday in Morocco.
• Health authorities stress there is no risk to the wider public as rabies does not transmit between humans and are assessing close contacts and healthcare workers for post-exposure vaccination.
• Rabies causes progressive damage to the central nervous system and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, but prompt wound cleansing and vaccination can halt the disease.
• The UK has been free of rabies in non-bat animals since 1902, with only six human cases linked to overseas exposure recorded between 2000 and 2024.
• Travellers to regions where rabies is endemic are advised to avoid animal contact and seek immediate medical care after any bite, scratch, or saliva exposure.