Family of Yvonne Ford killed by rabies share video of her dancing before she was struck down

Jun 22, 2025 Health views: 111

A British mum who died of rabies weeks after being scratched by a dog on holiday was dancing and carefree just a fortnight before her death.

Yvonne Ford,from Barnsley in South Yorkshire,started feeling ill a couple of weeks ago.

The 59-year-old had been scratched by a dog during a family holiday in Morocco in February – but nobody thought anything of it until she started showing symptoms earlier this month.

Yvonne’s family have shared a warning about the dangers of rabies,and shared a heartbreaking video of her dancing only a short time before she started showing symptoms to demonstrate just how quickly the virus took hold.

The clip,filmed less than two weeks before Yvonne’s death,shows her dancing around an umbrella surrounded by younger relatives,throwing her hands in the air and smiling.

UKHSA/World Health Organisation

The UK Health Security Agency says it’s assessing anyone who came into contact with Yvonne since she returned from Morocco.

They say there is no risk to the wider public.

Dr Katherine Russell said: ‘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.’

Rabies,which is fatal in almost all cases,causes tens of thousands of deaths every year,mostly in Asia and Africa,according to the World Health Organisation,and dogs are responsible for 99% of cases.

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