A British national has died from rabies after contact with a stray dog while on holiday in Morocco.
The person was diagnosed in Yorkshire and the Humber region where precautionary measures are now being taken to prevent the spread.
Close contacts of the victim and health workers are being assessed, health authorities confirmed.
In a statement announcing the case, the UK Health Security Agency said: ‘There is no risk to the wider public as there is no documented evidence of rabies passing between people.’
Dr Katherine Russell, head of emerging infections and zoonoses at UKHSA, said at UKHSA, said: ‘I would like to extend my condolences to their family at this time.
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‘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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