The Information office of the Ministry of Public Health issued the following statement:

Following up its previous statements on the growing number of dog bites incidents, the Ministry of Public Health warns again against the stray dog’s bites and asks the concerned entities, such as municipalities and ministries to meet their responsibilities and find solutions to this growing problem.

The Ministry also calls on all the dogs and pets’ owners to vaccinate them to prevent any danger they might be facing, stressing that any negligence from their side will hold them responsible for the consequences.

The Moph calls on all the citizens not to panic about each bite and to head immediately to the specific centers in the governorates. They should then follow the physicians’ instructions and complete the treatment. For more info on these centers, the citizens can dial the Ministry’s hotline 1214. If the dog was not stray one has to make sure he is vaccinated based on the vaccination reports. The responsibility of vaccination and the consequences of rabies cases fall on the owner of the dog or domestic animal.

It should be noted that guidelines are followed as to the administration of rabies injections according to the risks of bites. These guidelines are determined by the WHO and approved by the National scientific committee for the control of communicable diseases. Dog vaccines are limited and the incidents of bites are growing in Lebanon due to the exposure to dogs that are not well treated, as well as displacement and the refugees’ camps.