Dog encounters on holidays are often the stuff of cute online reels about falling in love with a furry new best friend and eventually adopting them, and bringing them home. But one British grandmother’s interaction with a puppy in Morocco in February has led to the stuff of nightmares, after the 59-year-old South Yorkshire woman died of rabies due to a light scratch.
The puppy that “scratched very slightly” and injured Ford in February 2025 was infected with the lyssavirus rabies, a fatal viral infection that can pass from animal saliva, usually canine, into humans. Ford “did not think any harm would come of it and didn’t think much of it,” according to her daughter, Robyn Thomson, who posted about the tragedy on Facebook, hoping to raise awareness.
Signs of rabies, which has no cure, can take months to develop. In early June, Yvonne Ford “became ill, starting with a headache,” Thomson said. This “resulted in her losing her ability to walk, talk, sleep, swallow” and eventually “her passing.”
Rabies spreads through the nervous system, causing inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. The first symptoms are usually neurological due to the effects of nerve damage on muscle control and bodily sensations. Paralysis, hallucinations, and erratic behaviour also occur, with many people experiencing severe pain when swallowing, thought to be one of the explanations for patients’ hydrophobia, or fear of water.
One of the serious issues with rabies is that such symptoms only appear when irreversible nerve damage has already been done, and palliative care is usually the only option. Being hyper-aware of potential animal bites, or even superficial wounds or licks when travelling abroad, is one of the answers. This is because acting immediately if bitten gives one the best chance of a better outcome through post-exposure treatments.
If you're travelling to a country where rabies is present, it's worth knowing how to reduce your risk – read our blog post for more info.
— UK Health Security Agency (@UKHSA) June 18, 2025
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Medics may respond by assessing the patient’s vaccination status and treating the wound with disinfectants. They may also administer post-bite rabies agents and perform immunoglobulin blood infusions to target the virus with antibodies. A fast response can be “very effective”, the UK’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said, confirming Ford’s death.
Washing any affected area straight away “with plenty of soap and water” should follow any bites, scratches, or licks anywhere on the body, from any animal abroad somewhere with rabies. In all cases, local medical advice should be sought without delay, even in those who have been previously vaccinated. In the UK, any bat bites or scratches should get urgent medical attention, the UKHSA continued.
Between 2000 and 2024, there were six cases of human rabies associated with animal exposures abroad reported in the UK, the British government website states. Even in countries where rabies is thought to have been “eradicated”, visitors should note that wild animal populations may still carry the disease, which is why vigilance and fast action is vital.
Yvonne Ford’s family “is still processing this unimaginable loss,” her daughter said, “but we are choosing to speak up in the hope of preventing this from happening to others.”
