BBC News, Yorkshire<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n A person from Yorkshire has died from rabies after contact with a stray dog in Morocco.<\/p>\n The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the person became infected while on holiday in the North African country.<\/p>\n The agency said there was no risk to the wider public due to no documented evidence of rabies passing between people.<\/p>\n Close contacts of the person and health workers were being assessed and offered vaccinations when necessary as a precaution, a UKHSA spokesperson added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Rabies can cause a life-threatening infection of the brain and nervous system in humans.<\/p>\n It is passed on through injuries such as bites and scratches from an infected animal.<\/p>\n It is nearly always fatal, the UKHSA said, but post-exposure treatment is “very effective” at preventing disease if given promptly after exposure to the virus.<\/p>\n Dr Katherine Russell, from the UKHSA, said: “Human cases of rabies are extremely rare in the UK.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Six cases of human rabies connected to animal exposure abroad have been reported in the UK between 2000 and 2024.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The agency also advised people to seek advice about the need for a rabies vaccine before travel.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Getty](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/cdf4\/live\/03753c60-4c43-11f0-a8b1-f318fea9c646.jpg.webp\")
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