Latest news with #RobynThomson
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Heartbroken family of British mother killed by rabies share poignant video of her dancing before she was struck down by virus she caught from stray dog in Morocco in February
The heartbroken family of a British mother who died after contracting rabies from a stray puppy during a holiday to Morocco has shared a poignant video of her before she was struck down by the disease. Grandmother Yvonne Ford, 59, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, became ill two weeks ago and steadily deteriorated until her death this week, after suffering a minor scratch from a puppy in February. Her daughter, Robyn Thomson, 32, a neo-natal nurse, paid tribute to her mother - known as 'Bon' - in a moving post, and urged others to treat even the tiniest scratch with caution. She also shared a video of her mother dancing taken less than two weeks before her death. Ms Ford appears healthy, energetic and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself - jumping around and punching her hands in the air. There is no sign that she is remotely ill - but days later she would be admitted to hospital, diagnosed with rabies and ultimately pass away. Rabies - which is passed on through injuries such as bites and scratches from an infected animal - is nearly always fatal. It typically takes between three and 12 weeks for symptoms to show but can also take longer in some cases. Friends and family members were shocked to see the clip, with one describing it as 'unreal'. In the video, Ms Ford appears healthy, energetic and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself - jumping around and punching her hands in the air Another said: 'Lovely to see her enjoying herself on this video. Memories to cherish forever - I still cannot believe it.' After her mother's death, Ms Thomson wrote on Facebook: 'Our family is still processing this unimaginable loss, but we are choosing to speak up in the hope of preventing this from happening to others. 'Yvonne Ford, Ron Ford's wife and our Mum, died of rabies. She was scratched very slightly by a puppy in Morocco in February. 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. Resulting in her passing.' Ms Thomson added: '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 was the heart of our family - strong, loving, and endlessly supportive. No words can fully capture the depth of our loss or the impact she had on all of us. 'We are heartbroken, but also grateful for every moment we had with her. Rest peacefully, Bon. You'll always be with us.' It is understood Ms Ford was diagnosed with the disease at Barnsley Hospital. An inquest into her death opened yesterday morning at 9am at Sheffield Coroners' Court, which her daughter attended. It has since been adjourned. At court Ms Thomson declined to comment but said she was having a 'horrendous day'. There have been less than 10 cases of human rabies associated with animal exposures abroad reported in the UK since 2000. However, the UKHSA yesterday stressed there was 'no risk to the wider public' given there is 'no documented evidence of rabies passing between people'. Ms Ford's family described her as 'strong, loving, and endlessly supportive' and said they had lost the 'heart of our family' Ms Ford's family paid tribute to her in emotional Facebook posts this week and urged others to take even the smallest grazes seriously The UK has been rabies-free since 1922, when the last indigenous non-fatal case was recorded, with the exception of rabies-like viruses in some wild bat species. The last death caused by rabies in a UK animal - other than bats - was in 1902. Dog licensing, euthanasia of stray dog and quarantining were credited with killing off the virus. Western Europe is now considered low risk for the disease by the World Health Organisation (WHO), while countries in Eastern Europe are listed as 'moderate risk' and African and Middle Eastern countries are 'high risk'. Popular tourist destinations such as Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Turkey all carry a high risk of dogs transmitting rabies to people. Dr Katherine Russell, head of emerging infections and zoonoses, at the 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.' Once a person begins showing signs and symptoms of rabies, the disease is nearly always fatal. The first symptoms of rabies can be similar to flu, while later symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, agitation, anxiety, difficulty swallowing and excessive saliva. People may develop fears around things like swallowing drinks and can suffer hallucinations and paralysis. However, it is possible to save a patient who has contracted rabies if they can begin treatment before the virus enters their immune system. The course of treatment for rabies is four doses of the vaccination for rabies and human rabies immunoglobulin (antibodies) applied over a 21-day period. According to the UKHSA, people should take immediate action to wash the wound or site of exposure with plenty of soap and water, if they've been bitten or scratched by an animal while abroad in a country with rabies. They should also follow the same advice if an animal has licked their eyes, nose or mouth, or licked a wound they have. British bats have also been known to carry rabies. However, as people can only catch rabies by manually handling bats directly, the risk to the public is considered to be low. But people who have been bitten or scratched by a bat in Britain are still advised to contact their GP urgently or call the NHS on 111 due to the potential risk. The last recorded rabies death in the UK was in 2018, when Omar Zouhri, a 58-year-old kebab shop worker, was bitten by a cat while visiting family in Mehdya, Morocco. The same rabid cat is believed to have also bitten a young girl in the area, but she was treated locally for the nip and made a full recovery. An inquest in Oxford heard that Mr Zouhri had contracted rabies on August 31 2018, but it was not until as late as October 28 that 'the die was cast' when he started to report symptoms of 'furious rabies'. This included itching, pain and muscle twitches—which showed the virus had already entered his central nervous system, rendering treatment ineffective. Mr Zouhri, from Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, died in hospital in Oxford on November 4, 2018. Rabies: Death from a scratch Rabies is a viral infection which targets the nervous system and the brain. It is deadly in 100 percent of cases left untreated - and has an incubation period of 20 to 60 days. It is only spread by infected animals to humans, most often through the animal biting or scratching the person. It can also be spread by an animal's saliva being in contact with a graze or cut on a human's skin. The majority of rabies cases result from being bitten by an infected dog. The symptoms of the illness include high temperatures, numbness at the area where the bite occurred and hallucinations. Some victims also have hydrophobia, which is a fear of water. There are about 55,000 cases of rabies worldwide each year with over 95% of cases occurring in Africa and Asia. Half of all rabies cases occur in India. Rabies is one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) that predominantly affects poor and vulnerable populations who live in remote rural locations. Approximately 80% of human cases occur in rural areas, and although effective human vaccines and immunoglobulins exist for rabies, they are not readily available or accessible to those in need. Globally, rabies deaths are rarely reported and children between the ages of 5–14 years are frequent victims. Every year, more than 29 million people worldwide receive a post-bite vaccination. This is estimated to prevent hundreds of thousands of rabies deaths annually.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
'Don't take rabies for granted', top medic urges
Rabies was very rare in the UK but people should not "take for granted how safe we are", a top medic has warned following the death of a woman from the Ford, 59, from Barnsley, died in hospital in Sheffield on 11 June after being scratched while stroking a puppy during a holiday to Morocco in daughter, Robyn Thomson, said in a Facebook post that her mum had started experiencing symptoms two weeks ago, which began with a headache and eventually saw her unable to walk, talk, sleep or Andrew Lee, from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said it was vital that people planning to travel abroad should seek health advice and "get all their jabs in". Mrs Ford had light contact with the stray dog while on holiday in February in the North African country, according to her was diagnosed with rabies at Barnsley Hospital after returning to the UK, and was later transferred to Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire Hospital where she died last week. Prof Lee told the BBC that the UK itself had been "rabies-free since the early part of the 20th Century"."We've not got it in our wild or domestic animals - with the exception of a few bat species, but that's really, really rare - and the cases we've had in the UK have been acquired abroad," he explained that once someone had contracted the virus, it could take a few months for the symptoms to people were bitten, scratched or licked by an animal with rabies while abroad, they should "try and wash the wound out as soon as you can and get medical treatment as soon as you can", Prof Lee urged."If you've had early treatment then generally the chances are pretty good that you will recover, but if you leave it too late and the disease sets in then it attacks nerves and then the brain and it can't be cured once it gets to that stage."If people don't get treatment early, and especially if they're not vaccinated, once the disease sets in there's little our medical colleagues can do and unfortunately it becomes fatal." Prof Lee urged everyone planning to go abroad on holiday to "make sure you get your travel advice and get all the right vaccines and protect yourselves and your loved ones"."If there is one message, it is that here in the UK we take for granted how safe we are from infectious disease, but we forget that outside the UK in many countries some of these diseases are much more common, like rabies," he said."So it's important that people get travel health advice before they go abroad and make sure they get all their jabs in."Prof Lee added that people should also "have your wits about you and just avoid the animals", particularly in countries where the risk of rabies is much higher, such as parts of Africa and cases of human rabies connected to animal exposure abroad were reported in the UK between 2000 and 2024. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
British woman dies from rabies after puppy scratch
A British woman has died from rabies after she was "scratched" by a puppy in Morocco, her family said. Yvonne Ford, 59, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, had light contact with the stray dog while on holiday in February in the North African country. In a social media post, reported by the Press Association, Mrs Ford's family said she developed a headache two weeks ago and later couldn't "walk, talk, sleep, swallow". The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said there was no risk to the wider public due to no documented evidence of rabies passing between people. Mrs Ford was diagnosed at Barnsley Hospital after returning to the UK, the hospital trust confirmed, and was later transferred to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield. She died on 11 June, with an inquest into her death opened in Sheffield earlier. In the Facebook post, her daughter Robyn Thomson said the family "is still processing this unimaginable loss". "She was scratched very slightly by a puppy in Morocco in February," she wrote. "At the time, she did not think any harm would come of it and didn't think much of it. She continued: "Two weeks ago she became ill, starting with a headache and resulted in her losing her ability to walk, talk, sleep, swallow. Resulting in her passing." Close contacts of Mrs Ford and health workers were being assessed and offered vaccinations when necessary as a precaution, a UKHSA spokesperson added. Rabies is a virus that causes an infection of the brain and nervous system in humans Symptoms of rabies usually take three to 12 weeks to appear - but they can appear after a few days or not for several months or years Symptoms include numbness or tingling where you were bitten or scratched, hallucinations, feeling very anxious or energetic, difficulty swallowing or breathing and paralysis It is nearly always fatal when symptoms appear, but post-exposure treatment is "very effective" at preventing disease if given promptly after exposure to the virus The NHS website also advises people to seek medical help immediately if they have been bitten or scratched, or if they have been licked on the eyes, nose, mouth or an open wound by an animal abroad Source: World Health Organization/NHS/UKHSA Ms Thomson added: "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." Six cases of human rabies connected to animal exposure abroad were reported in the UK between 2000 and 2024. Rabies is particularly common in Asia and Africa, the UKHSA said, with people visiting affected countries advised to avoid contact with dogs, cats and other animals wherever they can. The agency also advised people to seek advice about the need for a rabies vaccine before travel. Jane McNicholas, chief medical officer at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We can confirm that we provided specialist care for a patient who had contracted rabies whilst abroad and who has now sadly died. "Our thoughts are with the family at this devastating time and out of respect for their privacy we will not be providing any further information." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here. NHS
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
'Patients snarl like dogs': The horrifying reality of dying from rabies - as Yorkshire grandmother dies from disease
Health chiefs today sounded the alarm after a British woman died of rabies, contracting the fatal disease from a scratch by a stray puppy in Morocco. Grandmother Yvonne Ford, 59, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, became ill two weeks ago and steadily deteriorated until her death this week. Her daughter, Robyn Thomson, 32, a neo-natal nurse, paid tribute to her mother—known as 'Bon'—in a moving post, and urged others to treat even the tiniest scratch with caution. Rabies, which is passed on through injuries such as bites and scratches from an infected animal, is nearly always fatal. After an infection, the symptoms can take up to a year to appear. But when they do appear, the disease is a swift and brutal killer. Most patients die in a few days. Research has even suggested people can lose 'bodily control and rationality', with historical records showing some who contracted rabies from dog bites 'snarled like dogs' and 'barked'. Here MailOnline reveals exactly how the dangerous illness takes hold. Initial symptoms may appear similar to the flu, with later signs including a fever, headache, nausea, agitation, difficulty swallowing and excessive saliva. But as it travels through the nerves and spinal cord up to the brain—through the central nervous system— inflammation of the brain or brain swelling, develops. Jeanna Giese, now 35, is the first person known to have survived rabies without receiving the rabies vaccine—a feat considered impossible before her case in 2004. She was bitten by a bat at the age of 15, before suddenly developing symptoms three weeks later. Speaking to the Guardian in 2023, she said: 'I started feeling unbelievably tired. 'A few days after that, I could not get out of bed, had double vision and was vomiting uncontrollably. Soon I became unresponsive.' It was only by receiving a novel treatment called the Milwaukee Protocol, that she survived. This involved doctors putting her into an induced coma to suppress brain function and prevent the deadly build-up of inflammation by giving her antiviral drugs. After two weeks she was taken out of the coma and spent the following two years in recovery where she learned to walk and talk again. Others, however, have not been so lucky and suffer hallucinations or even paralysis once the virus takes hold. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), paralytic rabies accounts for around a fifth of all human cases. Muscles gradually become paralysed, starting at the site of the bite or scratch. A coma slowly develops and eventually death occurs. Last year, Brazilian health officials also reported that a man had died from rabies after the disease left him with fatal brain inflammation. The 56-year-old was bitten by a monkey and three weeks later began to experience vomiting, drooling and fainting. Within a week, he was diagnosed with encephalitis—meaning his brain had swelled and despite treatment, died a fortnight later. Writing in The Conversation, one Canadian historian also told how patients with rabies historically also lost 'bodily control and rationality'. Professor Jessica Wang, an expert in US history at the University of British Columbia, said 19th century newspapers 'frequently described those who contracted rabies from dog bites as barking and snarling like dogs, while cat-bite victims scratched and spat'. Hallucinations, 'respiratory spasms and out-of-control convulsions' were also common symptoms recorded, she added. It comes as UK health officials today revealed a British woman has died of rabies after contracting the fatal disease in a scratch from a stray puppy in Morocco. In a separate Facebook post, her daughter Robyn Thomson said: 'Our family is still processing this unimaginable loss, but we are choosing to speak up in the hope of preventing this from happening to others. 'Yvonne Ford, Ron Ford's wife and our Mum, died of rabies. She was scratched very slightly by a puppy in Morocco in February. '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. Resulting in her passing.' She added: '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 was the heart of our family—strong, loving, and endlessly supportive. No words can fully capture the depth of our loss or the impact she had on all of us. 'We are heartbroken, but also grateful for every moment we had with her. Rest peacefully, Bon. You'll always be with us.' It is understood Ms Ford was diagnosed with the disease at Barnsley Hospital. An inquest into her death opened this morning at 9am at Sheffield Coroners' Court, which her daughter attended. It has since been adjourned. There have been less than 10 cases of human rabies associated with animal exposures abroad reported in the UK since 2000. However, the UKHSA today stressed there was 'no risk to the wider public' given there is 'no documented evidence of rabies passing between people'. The last death caused by rabies in a UK animal—other than bats—was in 1902. Dog licensing, euthanasia of stray dog and quarantining were credited with killing off the virus. Western Europe is now considered low risk for the disease by the WHO, while countries in Eastern Europe are listed as 'moderate risk' and African and Middle Eastern countries are 'high risk'. Popular tourist destinations like Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Turkey all carry a high risk of dogs transmitting rabies to people. Dr Katherine Russell, head of emerging infections and zoonoses, at the 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.' Today, it is possible to save a patient who has contracted rabies if they can begin treatment before the virus enters their immune system. The course of treatment for rabies is four doses of the vaccination for rabies and human rabies immunoglobulin (antibodies) applied over a 21-day period. The last recorded rabies death in the UK was in 2018, when Omar Zouhri, a 58-year-old kebab shop worker, was bitten by a cat while visiting family in Mehdya, Morocco. An inquest in Oxford heard that Mr Zouhri had contracted rabies on August 31 2018, but it was not until as late as October 28 that 'the die was cast' when he started to report symptoms of 'furious rabies'. This included itching, pain and muscle twitches—which showed the virus had already entered his central nervous system, rendering treatment ineffective. Mr Zouhri, from Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, died in hospital in Oxford on November 4, 2018.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Grandmother dies from rabies after ‘very slight scratch' from puppy in Morocco
The family of a grandmother who died after contracting rabies said she was scratched 'very slightly' by a puppy while visiting Morocco in February. Yvonne Ford's family said she only became ill two weeks ago, starting with a headache and resulting in her becoming unable to walk, talk, sleep or swallow. Ms Ford, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, died in Sheffield on June 11 aged 59, according to Sheffield Coroner's Court, where an inquest was opened and adjourned on Wednesday morning. Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust confirmed she was diagnosed with rabies at Barnsley Hospital. A Facebook post which her daughter Robyn Thomson made to raise awareness said: 'Our family is still processing this unimaginable loss, but we are choosing to speak up in the hope of preventing this from happening to others. 'Yvonne Ford, Ron Ford's wife and our Mum, died of rabies. 'She was scratched very slightly by a puppy in Morocco in February. '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. 'Resulting in her passing.' Ms Thomson shared information about rabies, including that it is preventable through prompt medical care after exposure. She added: '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.' The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said there is no risk to the wider public because there is no evidence rabies can be passed between people. However, as a precautionary measure it is assessing health workers and close contacts to offer vaccination where necessary. Rabies is a deadly virus spread through the saliva of infected animals, and people usually get it after being bitten by an infected animal. Animals such as cows, cats and foxes can carry the virus but, in developing countries, stray dogs are the most likely to spread rabies to people. Once a person begins showing signs and symptoms of rabies, the disease is nearly always fatal. The first symptoms of rabies can be similar to flu, while later symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, agitation, anxiety, difficulty swallowing and excessive saliva. People may develop fears around things like swallowing drinks and can suffer hallucinations and paralysis. Dr Katherine Russell, Head of Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, at the 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.' According to the UKHSA, rabies does not circulate in either wild or domestic animals in the UK, although some species of bats can carry a rabies-like virus. There have been no human cases of rabies acquired in the UK from animals other than bats reported since 1902. Between 2000 and 2024, there were six cases of rabies reported in the UK linked to people being exposed abroad. Rabies is common in other parts of the world, especially Asia and Africa. Travellers are being advised by the UKHSA to avoid contact with dogs, cats and other animals and check whether they may need a rabies vaccine prior to travel.
