Veterinarians warn of rabies spreading in Palestinian territories

In an interview with the Ma’an news agency, Dr. Abdul-Karim Abu Znaid, head of the Palestinian Veterinary Association, reported a rise in rabies infections, linking it to the proliferation of stray dogs. Deaths from the disease have been recorded.

Packs attack people, most often children. “From mid-2025 until now, cases of human infection have been recorded, with several deaths. There has been an increase in the incidence of the disease in the last four to five months,” the association said in an official statement.

The doctor cited the example of a colleague working at a veterinary clinic in Ramallah who was bitten by a dog he was treating. As a result, he contracted rabies. Abu Znaid also mentioned two deaths, one of whom was a resident of Jenin and the other from the Jordan Valley.

He also noted that Palestinian laboratories lack the equipment to test for rabies, and samples have to be sent to Israel.