Rabies: What is the viral infection, is it always fatal and what risk does it pose to British tourists?

A British tourist has died of rabies in Morocco after being bitten by a cat.

While the disease has been effectively eradicated in the British Isles, it is commonly carried by animals in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Five UK citizens have died after contracting it abroad since the turn of the millennium, according to Public Health England (PHE).

But what precisely is rabies and how much danger does it pose to British holidaymakers?