Brit woman dies of rabies after being scratched by puppy on holiday

A British woman has died after contracting rabies while on holiday in Morocco.

The family of 59-year-old grandmother Yvonne Ford confirmed on social media that the Barnsley woman had been scratched 'very slightly' by a puppy while travelling in Morocco back in February.

She later become unwell with a headache, with her symptoms developing to the point where she couldn't walk, talk, sleep or swallow.

"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. Yvonne Ford, Ron Ford’s wife and our Mum, died of rabies," Yvonne's daughter wrote on Facebook.

The statement continued: "She was scratched very slightly by a puppy in Morocco in February.

"At the time, she did not think any harm would come of it and didn’t think much of it.

There is a low risk of catching rabies in the UK (Getty Stock Images)

"Two weeks ago she became ill, starting with a headache and resulted in her losing her ability to walk, talk, sleep, swallow."

The family then urged others to make sure they properly educate themselves about illness risks while travelling abroad, adding: "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."

What is rabies – and how does it affect humans?

Rabies is a rare but extremely serious infection which is passed to humans by either a bite or scratch from an infected animal.

According to the World Health Organisation, the disease can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to six months before symptoms begin to develop (incubation period) and the disease is almost always fatal once symptoms begin to appear.

Common symptoms include:

• numbness or tingling where bite/scratch occurred
• flu-like symptoms
• hallucinations
• difficulty swallowing or breathing
• paralysis

Anyone who believes they have been exposed to rabies is urged to get a post-exposure jab before symptoms appear.

Yvonne Ford initially didn't think anything of the scratch (Facebook)

Rabies is extremely rare in the UK and is only carried by some bats, however you are at a greater risk of catching the infection if traveling in regions of the Asia and Africa.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said Yvonne's passing poses no risk to the wider public because there is no evidence rabies can be passed between people.

"I would like to extend my condolences to this individual’s family at this time," Dr Katherine Russell, Head of Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, at the UKHSA, said in a statement.

"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."