A rare case of canine rabies was detected in a shelter in the Paris region in a dog that had bitten several people, taken care of by the authorities, the Ministry of Agriculture announced on Thursday, October 27, in a press release. “The Pasteur Institute confirmed (Thursday) a case of rabies in a Husky cross-type dog kept in a shelter in Évry-Courcouronnes in Essonne (91)“, states the press release.

The animal hadbitten several people who were quickly attended to by the Institut Pasteur Rabies Center, which administered a highly effective post-exposure prophylaxis“, the text continues. The other people identified as having been exposed to the animal have been contacted by ARS Ile-de-France and have also been referred, if their exposure requires it, to a consultation in an anti-rabies center, the ministry said.

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France free of rabies since 2001

Since 2001, France has been officially recognized as free of rabies (except for bats), but the disease, which is fatal, continues to circulate in many countries, especially in Asia and Africa, where dogs are responsible for the majority of cases of rabies. transfer to humans, states the website of the Ministry of Agriculture.

In this case, “the animal developed the first signs on October 19 and died on October 25. During the entire contagious period (up to 15 days before the first signs), the dog remained sheltered, alone in its box or in a small yard.“but”given the incubation period, the dog must have contracted rabies before arriving at the shelter“. “The initial investigations, which are still ongoing, suggest that this dog could have been imported illegally from Morocco, a country where rabies is endemic.” say the authorities.

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Contamination of humans is carried out by an animal with the help of saliva on the occasion of biting, scratching, licking on damaged skin or mucous membrane (eye, mouth), but it is not transferred on the occasion of caressing the animal, we remind. The disease is not transmitted between people.