Overview
- A Sheffield inquest jury delivered a narrative conclusion that Yvonne Ford died of rabies encephalitis caused by a minor dog wound sustained in Morocco in February 2025.
- Jurors found the disease’s rarity and unusual presentation made diagnosis difficult but said this did not alter the inevitable outcome once symptoms began.
- Rabies was suspected only after a psychiatrist asked about travel history, after which Ms Ford was transferred to Sheffield’s infectious disease unit and died on June 11, 2025.
- An infectious-disease expert told the court rabies is almost always fatal after symptom onset but preventable with prompt post‑exposure treatment, noting only 26 UK cases since 1946.
- The family described witnessing a rapid deterioration as profoundly traumatic, raised concerns about dignity of care at Barnsley Hospital, and urged travelers to seek urgent medical advice after any bite or scratch abroad.