Home / Health / Rabies Claims Life of British Woman After Puppy Scratch in Morocco
Rabies Claims Life of British Woman After Puppy Scratch in Morocco
10 Nov
Summary
- Woman scratched by puppy in Morocco, dismissed it as minor
- Developed severe symptoms 4 months later, including headache, inability to walk/swallow
- Died on June 11, 2021 at Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield
In a tragic turn of events, a 59-year-old British woman named Yvonne Ford passed away in June 2021 due to rabies, a disease she contracted after a seemingly minor incident in Morocco earlier that year.
In February 2021, Ms. Ford was relaxing on a sun-lounger in Morocco when she was lightly scratched by a puppy. She thought nothing of the scratch, as it did not leave any teeth marks or broken skin. However, four months later in June 2021, Ms. Ford developed an unbearable headache while on a campervan trip in York. This was her first symptom, but by that point, it was already too late to save her.
Ms. Ford soon lost her ability to walk, swallow or sleep, and also developed an intense fear of water. She was "horrendously hallucinating" before passing away on June 11, 2021 at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield. Her daughter Robyn, a 33-year-old paediatric nurse, described the experience as "heartbreaking" as they watched Ms. Ford deteriorate rapidly. Rabies is known to be almost always fatal, and Robyn said nothing could have prepared her to see her mother succumb to such a "horrendous illness."
