Overview

• A 44-year-old man from Alcoi contracted rabies after a dog bite in Ethiopia in July 2024 and died on June 6, 2025, in a Valencia intensive care unit
• The virus was identified on May 29 by the Centro Nacional de Microbiología, marking Spain’s first human case since the country was declared rabies-free in 1978
• The patient had not sought post-exposure prophylaxis abroad or upon return and was unvaccinated, allowing the infection to progress undetected
• His wife and child were treated as at-risk contacts and received rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin, while experts note human-to-human transmission remains exceedingly rare
• Conseller de Sanitat Marciano Gómez stressed the need for pre-travel vaccination and prompt medical attention after animal bites in high-risk regions