Israel Faces Historic Rabies Surge with Nearly 100% Fatality Rate Warns Health Ministry

Israel is experiencing an unprecedented surge in rabies cases among animals, with 69 confirmed infections so far in 2026 and projections estimating a record 132 cases by year-end. This marks a significant increase from 29 cases in 2022 and reflects a worrying geographic spread of the disease across the country, including urban areas like Tel Aviv and Haifa. The Health Ministry's Public Health Division head, Prof. Sigal Sadetzki, emphasized that rabies is almost always fatal without preventive treatment, affecting the central nervous system of mammals and transmitted through bites or saliva contact with broken skin or mucous membranes.

The disease is endemic in Israel, primarily carried by wild animals such as jackals, which account for about 60% of infected wildlife, as well as foxes and other mammals. While human rabies deaths are rare, recent years have seen isolated cases, including a shepherd in 2024 who refused preventive treatment after exposure. The rise in rabies cases is linked to increased interaction between wild and domestic animals, driven by factors like feeding stray cats, poor sanitation, urban expansion, and displacement of wildlife from natural habitats.

Additionally, the Ministry highlighted risks from imported rabies cases, citing three dangerous incidents in 2026 involving dogs brought from northern Israel, Ramallah, and Jerusalem, resulting in dozens of human exposures requiring treatment. The Ministry urges anyone bitten or exposed to an animal to immediately wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water for about ten minutes and seek urgent evaluation at a health office or emergency room for possible vaccination. Preventive treatment rates among exposed individuals have improved from 32% to 43% in recent years, but vigilance remains critical to controlling the outbreak.