UK woman was diagnosed with rabies after psychiatrist raised fears, inquest told

"Rabies, a virus transmitted through saliva that causes brain inflammation, can lead to symptoms such as extreme anxiety, hallucinations and dizziness, as well as fatigue, problems consuming water and a shutdown of the central nervous system."

"Alexander Burns, the psychiatrist who assessed Ford, told the jury that he had been asked to see her as his colleagues at the hospital had had difficulty diagnosing her, and believed that her symptoms may have suggested a mental health problem."

"After learning of the scratch, Burns informed the court that he became concerned that the diagnosis may be rabies, in the context of the various neurological symptoms and sought further expertise into the disease, as he had never come across it before in his career."

Yvonne Ford, 59, died from rabies four months after being scratched by a puppy on a Moroccan beach in February. She initially dismissed the injury as minor and cleaned it with a wet wipe, seeking no medical treatment. Upon returning to the UK, Ford developed symptoms including anxiety, hallucinations, and dizziness that were initially misdiagnosed as a mental health condition. A psychiatrist, Alexander Burns, was consulted when hospital staff struggled to diagnose her. After learning of the dog scratch from her husband, Burns recognized the symptoms aligned with rabies and sought expert consultation. The diagnosis was confirmed, but Ford died in Barnsley hospital in June despite the identification.

Read at www.theguardian.com