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.
Health workers and people who had close contact with the individual are being assessed as a precautionary measure and offered vaccinations where necessary, officials said.
However, the agency stressed that there was no risk to the wider public due to there being no evidence of rabies passing between humans.
Rabies is passed on through injuries such as bites and scratches from an infected animal. It is nearly always fatal, but post-exposure treatment is very effective at preventing disease if given promptly after exposure to the virus.
The individual was diagnosed in Yorkshire and the Humber.
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.”
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