Urgent rabies alert after dog bite incident near Tel Aviv

Around 20 people have received preventative rabies treatment following contact with an infected dog that was captured in Ramat Gan, a suburb in the greater Tel Aviv area. The incident has prompted health authorities to issue an unusual warning to residents, urging them not to wait for symptoms to develop before seeking medical attention.Authorities are currently attempting to locate a husky dog that is suspected of having had contact with the infected animal, as they expand preventative measures across the region. The discovery of the rabies-infected dog has triggered a significant public health response, with medical teams working to identify and treat anyone who may have been exposed.Health officials have stressed the importance of immediate action, emphasising that rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. The treatment provided to those exposed involves a series of vaccinations and immunoglobulin injections, which are highly effective when administered promptly after potential exposure.Residents in the affected areas have been advised to report any encounters with stray dogs and to avoid contact with animals whose vaccination status is unknown. The authorities are conducting an active search for the husky and conducting epidemiological investigations to determine the full extent of potential exposure in the community.

Source: Maariv — Original article in Hebrew.