Dozens Injured by Dog Bites in Ibb Amid Rabies Vaccine Shortage

Dozens of citizens, including children, have contracted rabies in Ibb Governorate over the past two days following attacks by stray dogs. The region, controlled by Houthi militias, is experiencing a widespread increase in stray dogs and a severe shortage of essential rabies vaccines.

Medical sources reported that numerous injured individuals, predominantly from rural districts across the governorate, arrived at the rabies unit affiliated with the Ibb Health and Population Office seeking treatment after being bitten by dogs.

The sources indicated that other rabies unit centers in various districts have also received similar cases, though precise statistics for recent injuries are unavailable. The primary rabies unit within the Health Office is reportedly suffering from a complete lack of the necessary vaccines.

Compounding the crisis, these crucial vaccines are being sold at exorbitant prices in private pharmacies. Given that a patient requires five therapeutic doses, the total cost becomes prohibitively expensive for many Yemeni families, thereby contributing to an increase in rabies-related fatalities.

Hospitals within the governorate also reportedly lack the essential vaccines, and their inflated prices further prevent many infected individuals from receiving timely preventive treatment. Residents of Ibb city and its surrounding districts have expressed concerns over the continuous proliferation of stray dogs, attributing it to the apparent lack of effective measures by the Houthi-controlled authorities to control or combat their spread.

Consequently, dozens of dog bite incidents are being recorded daily across different parts of the governorate, highlighting a critical public health emergency.