The incident occurred in Taghazout, a Moroccan fishing village known to be the paradise of surfers.imago
This Swiss was suddenly scratched last week in Morocco when she was on vacation. The injury was not serious, but her condition gradually deteriorated until she died. Authorities suspect rabies, “which is often a death sentence”.
03.07.2025, 17:2703.07.2025, 17:32
A Swiss tourist lost her life last week in Taghazout, north of the Moroccan city of Agadir. As the Moroccan media reports, she played with a wandering dog. He suddenly scratched her. The injury was benign, but the woman still followed a medical treatment and was injecting a product against rabies. Her condition, alas, gradually deteriorated and died soon after.
The exact cause of death is not yet known, still according to Moroccan media. It is assumed, however, that it could be dead from the rage. Questioned by watsonthe Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAE) confirms that a Swiss citizen has lost his life in Morocco.
“The Swiss Embassy in Rabat is in contact with the competent local authorities. The DFAE supports relatives in the context of consular protection »
The DFAE, contacted by watson.
The DFAE cannot give more detailed information – on the cause of death – for reasons of data protection and personality. The Travel Medicine Center at the University of Zurich (UZH) cannot confirm that a Swiss has died of rage in Morocco.
Furthermore, he would have been informed by Swiss travelers of a possible case of rabies of a Swiss person in Morocco: “However, we have to date neither a confirmation of the diagnosis of rabies nor other details on the person, the course and the exact place of the event”.
Stray dogs arouse criticism
The case shocks both tourists and the local population. And there are many criticisms due to the many stray dogs in Morocco. Indeed, a few days earlier, a Briton also died after being scratched by a puppy.
Wandering dogs are held responsible for several deaths in Taghazout.imago
In another case that also occurred, a young woman was attacked and bitten by a wandering dog on Agadir beach. She had to be transported to the hospital. According to the newspaper Al Akhbarthe health services recorded 70 victims of stray dog ​​attacks in one day.
Rage is often a death sentence
Once is not custom, but it should be remembered that rabies is very dangerous for humans. “If a person is suffering from rabies, it means their death stop. It is therefore essential that anyone bitten or scratched by a mammal in a zone of transmission of the rabies goes immediately to a doctor, “said the Travel Medicine Center.
Active and passive vaccines can prevent a rabies epidemic after possible transmission. However, it can be difficult to get it abroad. It is in the south that the risk of rage is the highestthere are around 60,000 human deaths worldwide, but the number of unquisulated cases is probably much higher.
Depending on the risk, experts from the University of Zurich therefore advise prophylactic vaccinations: “people already vaccinated beforehand go on a trip with a certain protection and only need reminders in the event of exposure”.
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