Rabies outbreak spreads: 108 cases since the start of the year, urgent demand for vaccine funding

Three additional rabies cases have been discovered in the north and center of the country, bringing the total number of incidents since the beginning of the year to 108, exceeding last year's total. The chairman of the Veterinary Doctors Union, Dr. Michael Ettinger, has urgently appealed to the Ministry of Health to fund preventive vaccines for teams exposed to the virus, including veterinarians, animal catchers, and IDF soldiers.

The spread of the rabies virus in Israel continues, with three additional cases reported in recent days: an infected jackal in Jordan Park, a fox at Kibbutz Eyal, and a stray dog in the Modi'in area. Since the start of the year, 108 rabies incidents have been recorded, a figure surpassing the total number of cases in all of last year, which was a record year. The chairman of the Veterinary Doctors Union, Dr. Michael Ettinger, has urgently demanded that the Ministry of Health arrange full funding for preventive vaccines for veterinarians, clinic staff, animal catchers, veterinary inspectors in local authorities, and IDF soldiers exposed to animals. The union demands that the vaccines be made accessible through a fast-track process, without bureaucratic hurdles or financial burden on the workers. The article cites World Health Organization data on approximately 59,000 annual deaths from rabies worldwide, noting that early vaccination can prevent the disease from developing. Dr. Ettinger warned that no response has yet been received from the Ministry of Health and called for immediate action "before a disaster occurs."