First picture of British mum who died from rabies

Heartbreaking news.

Yyvonne Ford, 59, came into contact with the animal whilst on holiday in Morocco.

Her daughter, Robyn Thompson, said: "At the time, she did not think any harm would come of it and didn’t think much of it.

"Two weeks ago, she became ill, starting with a headache and resulted in her losing her ability to walk, talk, sleep, swallow."

Robyn said: "We never thought something like this could happen to someone we love. Please take animal bites seriously, vaccinate your pets and educate those around you."

She added that her mum was 'the heart of our family', saying: "No words can fully capture the depth of our loss or the impact she had on all of us. Rest peacefully, Bon. You’ll always be with us."

There is no risk to the wider public due to there being no evidence of it passing between humans.

Rabies is an almost always fatal virus which is passed through bites or scratches from infected animals.

Despite the high death rate, post-exposure treatment does exist which can be very effective if administered promptly after infection.

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.”

Rabies has practically been eradicated from the UK, however, some countries have not managed to fully rid themselves of the disease.

Morocco is estimated to have around three millions stray dogs.