A British woman recently died after contracting rabies during a North Africa holiday.
The family of grandmother Yvonne Ford from Barnsley said she suffered a ‘slight scratch’ from a puppy in Morocco in February.
However, she only became ill in the past two weeks.
She was taken to hospital and diagnosed with rabies.
“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,” the family said.
“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 is warning others not to take any chances when in contact with animals.
The UK Health Security Agency said her close contacts are being assessed, even though there is no evidence rabies is transmitted between humans.
Dr Katherine Russell at the UKHSA said: “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.”
The UKHSA warns travellers to avoid contact with animals including cats and dogs in certain countries, particularly in Asia and Africa.
Rabies fatalities remain rare.
There have been six cases of rabies from animal exposure overseas reported in the UK since the year 2000.
The most recent case was a rabies death in 2018.
