Holidaymakers to Spain issued alert over 'almost always fatal' virus
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Holidaymakers planning a trip to Spain are being warned after a deadly rabies case was reported in Valencia.
The case the 'almost always fatal' disease was identified this month, the first instance of the virus in Spain since 1978, reports the Mirror. Rabies is a virus found in animal saliva and typically spreads to humans through bites, scratches, or licks on open wounds from an infected animal, usually a dog.
There can also be a risk if an animal spits and saliva gets into the eyes, mouth or nose. The virus attacks the central nervous system, causing progressive damage to the brain and spinal cord. Once symptoms are present, the disease is almost always fatal.
The Spanish General Directorate of Public Health said: "In early June 2025, the Valencian Health Department reported a fatal case of rabies in a patient who suffered a dog bite during a trip to Ethiopia in July 2024. The case poses no risk to public health as it is transmitted only through bites from rabid animals, and mainland Spain and its islands have been free of rabies in terrestrial mammals since 1978."
The Spanish government's contingency plan for rabies control states: "According to the Contingency Plan for the Control of Terrestrial Rabies in Captive and Wild Animals in Spain, 2023, Spain is at alert level 0 (no cases of terrestrial rabies). In the Autonomous Cities of Ceuta and Melilla, alert level 1 is occasionally activated, due to the risk that imported cases of animal rabies crossing the border from Morocco may come into contact with local populations of feral dogs, leading to local transmission."
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre advises anyone who suspects they have been bitten by a rapid dog to take "urgent action". The HSPC advises:
Immediately wash the wound thoroughly under running water for several minutes and wash with detergent or soap
Apply disinfectant to the wound such as 40-70 percent alcohol or iodine solution
Apply a simple dressing to the wound
Seek immediate medical advice about the need for PET and possible antibiotics to prevent wound infection
Animal saliva in the eyes, mouth and nose should be washed thoroughly with water
Tetanus vaccine may be necessary if the traveller is not up-to-date as animal bites may be considered tetanus-prone wounds.
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