Spanish health officials have called on the public to get rabies vaccinations should they find themselves in specific situations after a man died of the virus in Valencia
Health authorities have issued an urgent public warning after a man bitten by a dog died from rabies in an “exceptional” case that has sparked panic.
Spanish health officials said the unnamed man, 44, died in hospital after carrying his infection from the African nation of Ethiopia, where he was bitten by a dog. Rabies, which is almost always deadly once humans show symptoms, aside from a few isolated cases, is not common in Spain, and authorities have been forced to warn people not to worry after news of the infection was made public. People have been told to get vaccinated if they find themselves in specific circumstances following the man’s nightmare experience.
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Spanish authorities said the 44-year-old contracted rabies from a dog bite during a trip to Ethiopia in July 2024, and was taken to a Valencia hospital in “very serious” condition before his death.
The man, whose nationality has not been revealed, died today, nearly a year after initially contracting the infection and following a stay in intensive care. He was not vaccinated – the only possible way to prevent death from infection – following his trip to the country last year, prompting authorities to issue a public warning.
Health officials said people should get a rabies vaccination if they are planning to travel or be in close contact with any animals that may be carrying the infection.
The man was bitten on his right leg but failed to seek further attention after returning from Ethiopia when he cleaned the wound and finding he had recovered well. Analytical tests conducted in Spain confirmed a rabies positive case on May 29, and medics administered an anti-rabies immunoglobulin as he was admitted to hospital.
The immunoglobulin is highly effective at preventing death from rabies, but only if it is administered by doctors soon after the potential infection.
The victim’s wife, the only contact at risk, was also given the rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin. Marciano Gómez, Spain’s minister of health, stressed it was an “isolated” case, adding that rabies had been eradicated in Spain. The country is one of several – including nations like the UK, Japan, New Zealand and Australia – to declare themselves rabies free.
Mr Gomez said: “It is transmitted by bites from infected animals in countries where it is not controlled and exceptionally by drops of saliva or a conjunctival ulcer.”
Health authorities confirmed that nothing else could have been done to save the man’s life.