A British woman has died after being “scratched” by a puppy in Morocco, with an inquest being filed into her tragic death.
The U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported that 59-year-old Yvonne Ford passed away after contact with a stray dog while on vacation. She was diagnosed after returning home in February 2025.
According to a Facebook post from her daughter, Ford had been “scratched very lightly by a puppy.” She then became ill “two weeks ago,” which saw her eventually becoming unable to “walk, talk, sleep, [and] swallow.”
Ford died on June 11 in Sheffield. She was the seventh victim of human rabies in the U.K. since 2000, with all previous cases also having contracted the viral disease while abroad.
UKHSA says there’s no risk of rabies to others in the UK
The UKHSA clarified that there is no risk to others in the U.K., as there is no evidence to suggest that rabies is contagious. However, it will be offering vaccinations to those who had been in close contact with Ford prior to her death.
Rabies vaccinations are offered to U.K. residents before traveling to areas known to carry the disease, including Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. Rabies is typically spread by mammals such as dogs, raccoons, bats, and foxes, with it spreading to humans through the saliva of the infected animal.
