Soldier who sparked rabies concern turns self in

An IDF soldier who was being sought by authorities after bringing a rabies-infected puppy to a veterinary clinic, checked in at a Health Ministry regional office along with seven of his comrades following reports he was being searched for.

One of the group has already been tested for the deadly virus and the rest will be tested later on Tuesday, Ynet reported. None of the soldiers appeared to show any symptoms of rabies.

The Health Ministry and the IDF desperately searched for the soldier throughout Monday amid concerns that he may have been exposed to rabies and could have been infected by the virus.

According to the IDF, the soldier dropped off a injured black puppy on August 28 at a veterinary clinic in the Golan Heights town of Katzrin, then presumably returned to an army base in the area. The puppy was later found to have contracted rabies.

Following the diagnosis, the Health Ministry immediately notified the IDF, requesting that the army track down the soldier, who authorities believed may have been in need of critical treatment.

Once the rabies virus penetrates a subject’s body, he or she must be vaccinated as soon as possible before the virus can make its way to the nervous system. If the subject is not vaccinated in time, symptoms will begin to develop, ultimately leading to the subject’s death, as there is currently no effective treatment for the disease once it has spread.

In 1996, an IDF soldier died of rabies after he was bitten in his sleep by an infected wild animal.

The Health Ministry urged anyone who may have been in contact with the puppy to seek medical assistance as soon as possible. The ministry further advised individuals who had been in contact with another rabid canine, a large German shepherd belonging to a family in the northern town of Sha’al, to seek immediate assistance as well.