Sheffield, UK — 2026-03-03 Woman Dies of Rabies After Morocco Dog Bite, Inquest Reveals.
A woman from Barnsley, Yvonne Ford, 59, died in the UK after contracting rabies from a dog bite during a holiday in Morocco, an inquest at Sheffield coroner’s court has shown. Ford was diagnosed with rabies following a psychiatric evaluation in the UK, which led to the realization of the disease’s severity.
Ford was scratched by a puppy while on a beach in Morocco in February.
She initially did not seek medical treatment, considering the injury minor.
However, upon her return to the UK, she began to exhibit symptoms.
These symptoms were only diagnosed as rabies after she was referred to a mental health facility at Barnsley hospital. Alexander Burns, the psychiatrist who assessed Ford, informed the jury that he suspected Lyme disease initially but later considered rabies due to Ford’s neurological symptoms.
Rabies, a virus transmitted through saliva, can lead to symptoms such as extreme anxiety, hallucinations, and dizziness, as well as fatigue and central nervous system shutdown.
The inquest heard that Ford was transferred to Sheffield Royal Hallamshire hospital’s infectious disease unit, where she died days later. Katharine Cartwright, an infectious diseases expert, told the jury that there have been only 26 confirmed cases of rabies in the UK since 1946, with a 100% fatality rate once symptoms appear. Ford’s daughter, Robyn Thomson, has since joined the charity Mission Rabies, which immunizes dogs in countries such as Cambodia and Malawi, to raise awareness of rabies and its prevention.
Further details are expected as the investigation continues.
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Source: Sheffield coroner’s court inquest.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 3*
