Rabies arrives in Italy — when could the disease threaten Estonia?

Italy confirmed a case of rabies in a dog that was illegally brought in via Morocco and Spain on Monday. The animal was euthanised, raising questions about how protected Estonia is, given that it also received rabies-free status in 2013.

Italy's agricultural and food authority announced on Monday that the country had confirmed a case of rabies in a dog that had been illegally brought in through Morocco and Spain. The infected animal was immediately euthanised.

Italy was officially declared rabies-free in 2013 — the exact same year as Estonia. This parallel is particularly striking: if an illegally imported animal could breach Italy's defences, the same could happen to any other country, including Estonia.

Rabies is one of the world's most dangerous infectious diseases, spreading through bites from infected animals and is almost always fatal to humans if appropriate treatment is not started in time. Wild animals, particularly foxes, are the primary carriers, but infected dogs and cats can also become dangerous.

Estonia's veterinary and food authority continuously monitors the illegal import of animals and requires all pets crossing the border to have valid vaccination documentation and a microchip. However, the Italian case shows that smuggling can evade such controls. Experts emphasise that the greatest risk lies primarily in the import of animals without documentation from high-risk regions.

Anyone planning to bring an animal into Estonia from abroad should ensure that all veterinary requirements are met. In case of a bite from a suspicious animal, one must seek medical attention immediately — there is an effective post-exposure prophylaxis treatment against rabies, but it only works if started quickly.