Human rabies caught within the UK from a land animal hasn’t happened since 1902, and the UK is officially considered free of classical rabies in terrestrial animals. However, people in the UK still occasionally die from rabies that they caught abroad, with the most recent confirmed fatal imported case reported in 2025 after contact with a stray dog in Morocco.

Quick Scoop

  • The last human case of locally acquired classical rabies in the UK was in 1902.
  • The last indigenous animal case in a land mammal (like a dog or fox) in Great Britain was in 1922.
  • Since 1946 there have been about 26 human rabies cases in the UK, all acquired overseas, often from dog bites or scratches while travelling.
  • A UK traveller most recently died in 2025 after being infected by a stray dog in Morocco; they were diagnosed on return to the UK.
  • There has been one known UK-acquired human rabies case from a bat lyssavirus (EBLV‑2) in a bat worker in Scotland in 2002.

In everyday terms, the UK hasn’t had home‑grown dog‑type rabies for over a century, but the virus still “returns” from time to time in travellers who were exposed abroad.

What “rabies-free” actually means

  • The UK is classed as free of classical rabies in domestic and wild land mammals, thanks to strict pet import rules and quarantine history.
  • Bats in the UK can carry related lyssaviruses (such as EBLV‑1 and EBLV‑2), so bat workers and anyone bitten by a bat are assessed carefully and may be offered rabies vaccination.

Key dates at a glance

  • 1902 – Last human case of classical rabies acquired in the UK from a land animal.
  • 1922 – Last indigenous classical rabies in a terrestrial animal in Great Britain.
  • 2002 – Human death in Scotland from bat‑acquired European Bat Lyssavirus 2.
  • 2012 & 2018 – UK residents died after dog/cat exposures abroad (India and Morocco).
  • 2025 – Latest reported imported human rabies death after a stray dog exposure in Morocco.

If you’re worried or travelling

  • If bitten or scratched by an animal abroad, wash the wound with soap and water for at least 15 minutes, apply disinfectant if available, and seek urgent medical care; prompt post‑exposure vaccination is highly effective at preventing rabies.
  • In the UK, urgent concerns after an animal bite should be discussed with NHS services (GP, urgent care, or emergency services depending on severity), especially after travel to countries where rabies is present.

TL;DR: Rabies last “circulated” in UK land animals over 100 years ago, but imported human cases still occur, most recently in 2025 after infection abroad.