Vaccine was given to rabies death Briton ‘too late’ to help

A BRITON who died after being bitten by a cat with rabies in Morocco “did not receive the vaccine until it was too late”, doctors said.

Public Health England (PHE) issued a warning to travellers after the UK resident contracted the disease, urging them to seek medical advice and vaccination.

No more details have been released, but it is understood the person was bitten a few weeks ago and was not given immediate, potentially lifesaving, treatment.

Prompt care, including wound cleaning and a course of the rabies vaccine, is very effective and can save an infected person’s life. It is believed the Briton sought care both in Morocco and at home after being bitten.

Jimmy Whitworth, a professor of international public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: “My understanding is that this is somebody who had contact with a cat that was behaving abnormally and sought care, I believe in Morocco and in the UK, but unfortunately did not receive vaccination until it was too late.”

Prof Whitworth added: “The typical time interval [for symptoms to appear] is two to three months, so you do have enough time [to seek care]. But it can be as short as a week and that’s why seeking prompt care and getting vaccination is so important.”

PHE said there was “no risk” to the public, with no recorded cases of human-to-human transmission. However, as a precaution, health workers and close contacts were offered the vaccine.

Dr Mary Ramsay, the PHE head of immunisations, said: “This is an important reminder of the precautions that people should take [in] countries where rabies is present. If you are bitten, scratched or licked by an animal you must wash the wound or site of exposure with plenty of soap and water and seek medical advice without delay.”

The last recorded British death from rabies was in 2012, when a British grandmother was bitten by her son’s pet dog in India.

Rabies is passed on through infected animals via injuries such as bites or scratches.

It is not found in UK animals except in a small number of wild bats. There have been no documented cases of humans in the UK acquiring rabies from animals other than bats since 1902.