A British man has died after being bitten by a rabies-infected dog whilst visiting Morocco. The UK Health Security Agency has warned holidaymakers what to do if they have been bitten by an animal in an affected country
A British man has died after being bitten by a dog infected with rabies after visiting Morocco. The man returned to the UK and was diagnosed with the disease in the Yorkshire and the Humber region, and subsequently died.
There is no evidence of rabies passing between people, however health workers and close contacts of the man are being assessed. The disease spreads through injuries such as bites and scratches from an infected animal.
It is nearly always fatal, however post-exposure treatment is very effective at preventing disease. The UK Health Security Agency is reminding travellers to be careful around animals when travelling to rabies-affected countries due to the risk of catching the disease.
If you have been bitten by an animal abroad in an affected country, you should take immediate action to wash the wound or site of exposure with plenty of soap and water, if:
- you’ve been bitten or scratched by an animal while you’re abroad in a country with rabies
- an animal has licked your eyes, nose or mouth, or licked a wound you have, while you’re abroad in a country with rabies
- you’ve been bitten or scratched by a bat in the UK
If such an exposure occurs abroad, the traveller should also consult their doctor on return, so that the course of rabies treatment can be completed. If travellers have not sought medical advice abroad, they should contact their doctor promptly upon return for assessment.
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Dr Katherine Russell, Head of Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, at the UK Health Security Agency 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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