Hungary Launches Preventive Vaccination Program Against Rabies in Foxes
Beginning March 29, 2025, vaccination efforts will be accompanied by animal movement restrictions in certain regions.
The Hungarian National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih) has announced that a preventive vaccination program against rabies in foxes will commence on March 29, 2025, in southern and eastern counties of Hungary.
Accompanying this immunization effort, a dog quarantine and grazing ban will be enforced in the affected areas.
The vaccination will be conducted using bait containing vaccines dispensed from small aircraft, targeting rural and less densely populated areas.
Areas affected by these operations will be clearly communicated to the public by local veterinary health authorities and municipal governments, who will provide specific details concerning the timing and location of restrictions.
In order to monitor the effectiveness of the vaccination campaign, Nébih plans to conduct laboratory tests on foxes killed during the program, with previous data indicating that over three-quarters of foxes in targeted areas successfully consumed the vaccine-containing bait.
Rabies has been a recurring issue in neighboring countries, notably Ukraine and Romania, with the disease recently reappearing in eastern Slovakia.
Hungary's rabies situation has also notably changed: in 2022, four cases were confirmed in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County, which borders both Ukraine and Romania.
This figure increased to 16 cases in 2023 and 18 cases in 2024. Following the loss of rabies-free status in September 2022, the vaccination efforts in this county will feature a higher density of bait, reflecting the ongoing epidemiological risks.
The introduction of the disease is believed to have occurred naturally through wildlife migrations from Ukraine and Romania.
Due to lapses in the vaccination programs conducted by Ukrainian and Romanian veterinary authorities in recent years, the areas near the border remain at a heightened epidemiological risk.
Considering these factors, maintaining effective animal health defense measures in Hungary remains crucial.
This ongoing necessity includes the vaccination of wild fox populations, mandatory vaccinations for domestic dogs, and the reporting of suspected rabies cases to veterinary authorities.
The Nébih will oversee the collection of samples from deceased domestic animals showing neurological symptoms, as well as from dead wild animals.
Nébih emphasizes that notifying authorities of suspected rabies cases is a legal obligation.
Additional information about rabies symptoms, transmission, and prevention can be found on Nébih's thematic website.
Accompanying this immunization effort, a dog quarantine and grazing ban will be enforced in the affected areas.
The vaccination will be conducted using bait containing vaccines dispensed from small aircraft, targeting rural and less densely populated areas.
Areas affected by these operations will be clearly communicated to the public by local veterinary health authorities and municipal governments, who will provide specific details concerning the timing and location of restrictions.
In order to monitor the effectiveness of the vaccination campaign, Nébih plans to conduct laboratory tests on foxes killed during the program, with previous data indicating that over three-quarters of foxes in targeted areas successfully consumed the vaccine-containing bait.
Rabies has been a recurring issue in neighboring countries, notably Ukraine and Romania, with the disease recently reappearing in eastern Slovakia.
Hungary's rabies situation has also notably changed: in 2022, four cases were confirmed in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County, which borders both Ukraine and Romania.
This figure increased to 16 cases in 2023 and 18 cases in 2024. Following the loss of rabies-free status in September 2022, the vaccination efforts in this county will feature a higher density of bait, reflecting the ongoing epidemiological risks.
The introduction of the disease is believed to have occurred naturally through wildlife migrations from Ukraine and Romania.
Due to lapses in the vaccination programs conducted by Ukrainian and Romanian veterinary authorities in recent years, the areas near the border remain at a heightened epidemiological risk.
Considering these factors, maintaining effective animal health defense measures in Hungary remains crucial.
This ongoing necessity includes the vaccination of wild fox populations, mandatory vaccinations for domestic dogs, and the reporting of suspected rabies cases to veterinary authorities.
The Nébih will oversee the collection of samples from deceased domestic animals showing neurological symptoms, as well as from dead wild animals.
Nébih emphasizes that notifying authorities of suspected rabies cases is a legal obligation.
Additional information about rabies symptoms, transmission, and prevention can be found on Nébih's thematic website.
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