Rabies death UK: Brit mum who died of rabies after 'scratched slightly by puppy' on holiday in Morocco in February named and pictured

Yvonne Ford has sadly passed away after becoming infected with rabies on her holiday in Morocco in February. Her daughter posted on Facebook that the “family is still processing this unimaginable loss” but “are choosing to speak up in the hope of preventing this from happening to others.”

Her daughter wrote that “was scratched very slightly by a puppy in Morocco in February” and “at the time, she did not think any harm would come of it and didn’t think much of it.” The post continued: “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.

“We never thought something like this could happen to someone we love. Please take animal bites seriously, vaccinate your pets, and educate those around you.”

Yvonne sadly died after being diagnosed on their return. The individual was diagnosed in Yorkshire and The Humber, with health workers and close contacts being assessed and offered vaccination as a precautionary measure.

According to the NHS, rabies is a rare but serious infection that's usually caught from a bite or scratch of an infected animal. It's almost always fatal once symptoms appear, but vaccination and early treatment can prevent it.

Rabies is passed on through injuries such as bites and scratches from an infected animal. The UK Health Security Agency has warned travellers to be careful around animals when travelling to rabies affected countries due to the risk of catching the disease.

Dr Katherine Russell, Head of Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, at the UK Health Security Agency said: “I would like to extend my condolences to this individual’s family at this time. If you are bitten, scratched or licked by an animal in a country where rabies is found then you should wash the wound or site of exposure with plenty of soap and water and seek medical advice without delay in order to get post-exposure treatment to prevent rabies.

“There is no risk to the wider public in relation to this case. Human cases of rabies are extremely rare in the UK, and worldwide there are no documented instances of direct human to human transmission.”