Person dies in Yorkshire from rabies after contact with stray dog while on holiday

A person has died in Yorkshire from rabies after contact with a stray dog during a holiday in Morocco.

The deceased is a woman from the area who was diagnosed at Barnsley Hospital, the Barnsley Chronicle reports.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said health workers and close contacts are being assessed and offered vaccination when necessary.

But the agency said there is no risk to the wider public because there is no evidence rabies can be transmitted between people.

What is rabies and how is it treated?

Rabies is caused by a virus invading the central nervous system.

It is spread by mammals - such as dogs, bats, raccoons and foxes - but in the UK it's only found in some bats, according to the NHS.

Once symptoms appear, it is almost always fatal, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The first symptoms can mirror a flu, while later symptoms include numbness or tingling in the affected area, hallucinations, anxiety, difficulty swallowing or breathing and paralysis.

But if seen to promptly after a bite, scratch or lick by an animal that may carry the virus, treatment is usually very effective at preventing the condition.

Treatment usually involves two or more doses of the rabies vaccine or a medicine called rabies immunoglobulin, which is a liquid administered to the wound and is only required if the patient has not had the rabies vaccine or has a weakened immune system.

The rabies vaccine is recommended if you're travelling to a part of the world where rabies is more common.

Around 60,000 people die every year from rabies worldwide, with the majority in Africa, according to the WHO.

Dr Katherine Russell at the UKHSA 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 have been six cases of human rabies associated with animal exposure abroad that have been reported in the UK between 2000 and 2024.

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Person dies in Yorkshire from rabies after contact with stray dog while on holiday

What is rabies and how is it treated?

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