A person has died in Yorkshire from rabies after contact with a stray dog while on holiday in Morocco, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.
The individual was diagnosed in Yorkshire and the Humber, the UKHSA said in a statement released on Wednesday.
Dr Katherine Russell, Head of Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, at 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 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.”
It is understood to be the first death from rabies in the UK since 2012, when a woman being treated in London died after she was bitten by a dog in South Asia.
Rabies does not circulate in either wild or domestic animals in the UK, although some species of bats can carry a rabies-like virus.
No human cases of rabies acquired in the UK from animals other than bats have been reported since 1902.
Between 2000 and 2024 there were six cases of human rabies associated with animal exposures abroad reported in the UK.
Rabies is common in other parts of the world, especially in Asia and Africa.
All travellers to rabies affected countries should avoid contact with dogs, cats and other animals wherever possible, and seek advice about the need for rabies vaccine prior to travel.
Animals such as cows, cats and foxes can carry the virus but, in developing countries, stray dogs are the most likely to spread rabies to people.
Once a person begins showing signs and symptoms of rabies, the disease is nearly always fatal.
The first symptoms of rabies can be similar to flu, while later symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, agitation, anxiety, difficulty swallowing and excessive saliva.
People may develop fears around things like swallowing drinks and can suffer hallucinations and paralysis.
