A MUM who died from rabies on holiday “lost her ability to walk and talk” before her death – here are all the symptoms you need to know.
Yvonne Ford, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, died over the weekend after suddenly falling ill, her family said.
FacebookYvonne only developed symptoms months after her visit[/caption]
Tributes to the mum have flooded inFacebook
Yvonne had been suffered a mild scratch from a puppy while on holiday in Morocco in February and unknowingly contracted the potentially fatal disease.
Yvonne’s daughter Robyn Thomson decided to speak out publicly about her mum’s death “in the hope of preventing this from happening to others”.
She revealed her mum’s sickness started with a headache – and resulted in her being unable to walk, talk, sleep and swallow.
Robyn said in a statement: “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.
“She was scratched very slightly by a puppy in Morocco in February,” she said. “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.”
The World Health Organization describes two main manifestations of the disease: furious rabies and paralytic rabies.
People or animals with furious rabies may appear agitated, become aggressive, and drool excessively, while other symptoms include hyperactivity, fear of water, and even fear of fresh air.
The symptoms of paralytic rabies, on the other hand, are more understated—typically causing gradual paralysis as a patient remains calm and lucid.
The NHS says rabies symptoms include:
Numbness or tingling where you were bitten or scratched
Seeing things that are not there (hallucinations)
Feeling very anxious or energetic
Difficulty swallowing or breathing
Being unable to move (paralysis)
If you’ve been bitten or scratched by an animal in an area with a risk of rabies you should immediately clean the wound with running water and soap for several minutes.
After this, you must disinfect the wound with an alcohol- or iodine-based disinfectant and apply a simple dressing.
After the wound is addressed, you should see a doctor as soon as possible and they will determine if you need a rabies vaccination or not.
Post-exposure treatment is nearly 100 per cent effective if it’s started before any symptoms of rabies appear.
Some cases will require immunoglobulin, which is administered into and around the wound.
This provides short-term protection if there is a significant chance of infection in the wound.
Treatment should ideally begin within a few hours of being bitten, but can be delayed up to 24 hours if needed.
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