Four people have died from rabies in Iraq this year, health ministry says

BAGHDAD — Four people have died from rabies in Iraq since the start of 2026, all of whom sought medical care too late, the Health Ministry said Wednesday.

Ministry spokesperson Saif al-Badr told the Iraqi News Agency that cases were recorded in Dhi Qar, Babil, Baghdad and Anbar. “All recorded deaths involved people who did not seek medical care in time,” he said, adding that some patients only arrived at health facilities after neurological symptoms had already appeared — at which point treatment is no longer effective and death becomes inevitable.

Badr said rabies is transmitted primarily through dog bites, with the incubation period representing the only window for effective intervention. He urged anyone bitten by a dog to immediately visit a hospital or health center for wound cleaning, anti-rabies serum and a vaccination schedule. “Not every dog bite necessarily means the dog is infected with rabies, but as medical authorities we assume every dog bite could carry this risk,” he said.