The UK Health Security Agency has warned travellers to exercise caution around animals while on holiday
A British woman has died after contracting rabies from a stray dog while holidaying in Morocco.
The woman, originally from Barnsley, was diagnosed in the Yorkshire and the Humber region. Medical staff and others who had close contact with her are currently being assessed and have been offered vaccinations as a precaution.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is now urging travellers to be cautious around animals in countries where rabies is common due to the high risk of infection. Rabies is almost always fatal and is transmitted through bites or scratches from infected animals.
Although treatment following exposure can effectively prevent the illness it must be administered immediately after coming into contact with the virus.
Following her contact with the stray animal in Morocco the woman returned to Britain and subsequent diagnosis took place at Barnsley Hospital, as reported by the Barnsley Chronicle.
Dr Katherine Russell, who leads the Emerging Infections and Zoonoses department at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “I would like to extend my condolences to this individual’s family at this time,” reports the Mirror.
“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.”
While rabies does not circulate among wild or domestic animals in the UK certain types of bats can harbour a rabies-like virus. The UK hasn’t seen any human cases of rabies contracted locally from animals besides bats since 1902. However between 2000 and 2024 six cases linked to animal exposures abroad were recorded.
Rabies is notably prevalent in Asia and Africa, eliciting renewed cautions for travellers to territories affected by rabies to avoid interactions with dogs, cats, and other animals when possible and to consult on whether a rabies vaccination is advised before their journey. Should one incur an animal bite or scratch urgent action to cleanse the exposure site with soap and water is crucial.
It’s imperative to seek local medical guidance straightaway, even if previously vaccinated, as starting a post-exposure treatment regimen promptly after contact can robustly fend off the ailment. Once symptoms manifest rabies is virtually always fatal.
Symptoms start off as anxiety, headaches, and fever and can escalate to hallucinations, respiratory failure, and swallowing difficulties due to muscular spasms. Stay informed on the latest health news by signing up to our newsletter here.
The incubation period between being infected and showing symptoms is typically between three and 12 weeks but can vary from a few days to many months depending on the site of the initial infection.
If an exposure occurs abroad the traveller should consult their doctor on return so the course of rabies treatment can be completed.
