Briton diagnosed with rabies after psychiatrist raised fears, inquest told

The Guardian - World NewsEN 2 min read 100% complete by Raphael BoydMarch 3, 2026 at 05:55 PM

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Yvonne Ford, a 59-year-old British woman, died in a Barnsley hospital in June after contracting rabies from a puppy scratch sustained during a February holiday in Morocco. Ford did not seek immediate medical treatment for the scratch. Months later, after returning to the UK, she developed symptoms that were initially misdiagnosed. A psychiatrist, Dr. Alexander Burns, was consulted and, upon learning of the dog scratch, suspected rabies. The diagnosis was confirmed, and Ford was transferred to an infectious disease unit in Sheffield, where she died. An inquest revealed that rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, but post-exposure vaccination is effective if administered promptly.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Sheffield 50% Sheffield Royal Hallamshire hospital 50% Katharine Cartwright 50% Barnsley hospital ×260% Barnsley ×260% United Kingdom ×270% Morocco ×270% Alexander Burns ×470% Yvonne Ford ×590%

Keywords

rabies 100% diagnosis 80% infectious disease 60% mental health 60% post-exposure vaccination 50% neurological symptoms 50% brain inflammation 40% morocco 40%