A case of canine rabies was detected and confirmed Thursday in a shelter in Evry-Courcouronnes (Essonne), the Ministry of Agriculture revealed in a press release.
Anger alarm in Ile-de-France. The Pasteur Institute has confirmed a case of canine rabies in a Husky cross-type dog, which was located in a kennel in Evry-Courcouronnes (Essonne).
According to the statement from the Ministry of Agriculture, the animal in question “had bitten several people”. These were “quickly provided by the anti-rabies center of the Institut Pasteur, which gave them a very effective post-exposure prophylactic treatment”.
The dog would have arrived illegally from Morocco
Other people who have been identified as dog contacts have been contacted by the Ile-de-France Regional Health Agency (ARS) “and are also referred, if their exposure so requires, for a consultation in an anti-rabies center”, specify the press release. .
According to the first investigations, still in progress, the dog may have arrived in France illegally from Morocco, where endemic rabies circulates. “The animal developed its first signs on October 19,” before dying on October 25. During the period of contagiousness, which extends up to 15 days before the first symptoms, the dog was left alone in a playpen or in a relaxing courtyard.
France has been recognized free from rabies since 2001, excluding bats. An exceptional case of contamination by this mammal resulting in the death of a patient was identified in 2019 and confirmed in 2020. This was the first case of metropolitan rabies since 1924.
Worldwide, the disease is responsible for around 59,000 deaths per year, mainly in Asia and Africa, we can read on Website of the Pasteur Institute. These deaths are usually caused by the bite of a rabid dog.
The virus present in the saliva of infected animals is transmitted to humans by direct contact with it by biting, scratching or even licking. The contamination from man to man is exceptional, observes the Institute.
