Health Ministry denies reports of rabies outbreak in Anbar

ANBAR — Iraq’s Ministry of Health denied reports circulating in media and on social platforms claiming that 1,600 rabies cases had been recorded in Anbar Governorate, calling the information false and misleading.

“It is strange that false news spreads so quickly without being issued by any official source, and that some media platforms circulate and promote it without verifying its accuracy,” ministry spokesperson Saif Al-Badr said in a statement.

Al-Badr emphasized that the ministry provides regular updates on communicable diseases such as hemorrhagic fever, COVID-19, and rabies through its official channels. “The ministry denies the report of 1,600 rabies cases in Anbar. Only one case has been recorded in the governorate this year,” he said.

He warned that spreading unverified health information threatens public confidence and adds unnecessary pressure on medical institutions. “If any cases of infectious diseases are recorded, the information will be published transparently on all official media platforms of the ministry,” Al-Badr said.

Rabies is a viral disease that attacks the central nervous system and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear if left untreated.