Rabies Concerns Rise as Pets from Morocco Enter Spain’s Malaga Province

Veterinarians have asked doctors to be extremely rigorous in the treatment of patients bitten by dogs or cats, and port and airport agents to thoroughly check these animals before they enter the territory. Over the past six months, 13 dogs with rabies have been reported in Melilla, a city near Morocco where rabies remains endemic.

In Andalusia, anti-rabies vaccination of dogs, cats and ferrets is mandatory. But vigilance must be maintained, explain the veterinarians. "Protecting pets is also protecting their owners, families and society in general," said the president of the Royal Academy of Veterinary Sciences of Eastern Andalusia, Antonio Villatoro, stressing the risk of buying pets in countries where rabies continues to claim victims.

For Juan Antonio de Luque, the president of the Malaga Veterinary Association, "the province, due to its geographical location, presents a risk," especially with the ongoing Operation Marhaba and the arrival of Ukrainian refugees. To reduce rabies cases, it is important to combine the efforts of all stakeholders. "Doctors, biologists, veterinarians, legislators and administrations, we must work together," Villatoro advised.