The national veterinary profession organizations from Central and Eastern Europe, took part in the spring meeting of the Visegrad Vet Plus Group, held in Kołobrzeg, Poland, on May 13, 2023, and approved a position statement calling for action to help Ukraine in managing the problem of rabies created as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
During the meeting, representatives of the Ukrainian veterinary profession reported the abandon of millions of dogs and cats in the war-torn region, the rabies status in domestic and wild animals, the numerous new cases of rabies in pets and the many refugees who bring pets into the EU that do not meet current health requirements. Representatives added that these companion animals entering the EU can come into contact with non-vaccinated animals, both pets and wild animals, in officially rabies-free countries.
After analysing this information, the evident conclusion was that the risk of rabies is currently highly significant, and therefore a coordinated initiative is needed to deal with this situation. Suggested actions to take in Ukraine are:
- The replenishment of national stocks of human and animal rabies vaccines.
- The mass vaccination, sterilization and identification of stray pets and domestic animals against rabies.
- The oral rabies vaccination of wild animals.
- Ensuring an appropriate level of laboratory diagnostics for rabies
- Creating additional shelters for stray dogs.
Position paper “Fear of mass rabies outbreak in Europe due to war in Ukraine”
