Eleven people were bitten by a jackal suspected of rabies near the Sea of Galilee on Tuesday evening, the Health Ministry said. The animal has not yet been caught, and the ministry warned the public to avoid contact.
Eleven people were bitten by a jackal suspected of being rabid near the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret) on Tuesday evening, according to a Health Ministry alert. The ministry said the animal is suspected of carrying rabies and has not yet been caught, urging anyone who came into contact to seek medical attention. The incident follows a similar Health Ministry warning earlier this week, as The Zioneer reported Monday, about a suspected rabid animal at Doga Beach in Ashkelon where ten exposed people received preventive treatment; in that case the animal also remained at large.
Rabies is a viral disease transmitted through the saliva of infected animals, nearly always fatal once symptoms appear. Post-exposure prophylaxis, given promptly after a bite, is highly effective. The Health Ministry and Nature and Parks Authority routinely issue public warnings when a rabid animal is suspected but not captured, as the animal can continue to pose a risk.
The number of confirmed rabies cases in Israel is typically low — a handful per year — but each suspected exposure triggers a public health response. The ministry has not yet reported whether the 11 bitten individuals have begun preventive treatment. The search for the jackal is ongoing.
2 developments
- DevelopingRabies-suspect jackal shot at Ashkelon beach; test underway
- Developing11 treated for jackal bites at Poriya Medical Center, mostly minors
- DevelopingTwo jackal attacks reported at Kinneret's Doga Beach a day after bathers injured
- DevelopingNature ecologist says jackals no longer fear humans, warns of growing danger
Source and signal
- Internal intake