What to do after a jackal bite and when is there a concern about rabies?

The danger of the nightly encounter: The abundance of jackals in Israel is no longer felt only in open areas. Over the weekend, vacationers were bitten or scratched in the Sea of Galilee area, and at the same time, reports are multiplying in the center of the country about jackals arriving at parks, yards, and residential neighborhoods. The main concern after any such contact is not only the injury itself, but the possibility of exposure to the rabies virus, a fatal disease that can be prevented only if treatment is given in time.

Over the weekend, it was reported that 11 people, including three minors, were bitten or scratched near Duga Beach in the northeastern Sea of Galilee. According to the reports, the victims were evacuated or turned for treatment at the Tzafon Medical Center (Poriya), received the required vaccines, and were released, except for one patient who arrived at a later stage from another beach. The Ministry of Health and the Nature and Parks Authority published a warning to the public following exposure to an animal suspected of being infected with rabies in the Duga Beach area.

Jackals are part of the local nature in Israel, but in recent years they are observed more and more near localities, parks, and residential neighborhoods. The Nature and Parks Authority explains that jackals and foxes find available food sources near humans, mainly garbage, pet food, and food scraps. The availability of food allows overbreeding, attracts the animals near humans, and increases the risk of unwanted encounters.

The Yarkon Park area has become in recent years a well-known focal point of jackal activity. According to current reports, there is a relatively large population of jackals in the Tel Aviv area, and in recent months, biting incidents were also reported in Ramat Gan and Tel Aviv. Residents in Ramat Gan, Givatayim, and northern Tel Aviv report jackal howls and screams almost every night, and sometimes also encounters with them near buildings, gardens, and parking lots.

A jackal will usually prefer to distance itself from humans, but it might approach when there is accessible food, when it has lost its fear of humans following feeding, when a female is protecting pups, when it is trapped or startled, or when it comes to a sick or injured animal. Exceptional aggressiveness, an unnatural approach to humans, lack of fear, or a prominent behavioral change require careful consideration and reporting to the Nature and Parks Authority or the municipal veterinary service.

No. Jackals and foxes are protected wild animals, and it is forbidden to harm them, trap them, or use poisons against them without an appropriate permit. Dealing with jackals is carried out only by authorized entities, and usually, the most important solution is preventing the food sources that attract them to residential areas.

Rabies is a severe viral disease of the central nervous system. The virus enters the body usually through a bite or contact of infected saliva with an open wound or mucous membranes, advances through the nervous system to the brain, and causes fatal encephalitis. After the appearance of the first signs, the disease almost always ends in death, but preventive treatment after exposure can prevent its development

According to the World Health Organization, rabies is estimated to cause about 59 thousand deaths each year in more than 150 countries, mainly in Asia and Africa. Up to 99% of rabies cases in humans worldwide are related to bites or scratches of infected dogs. In Western countries, the disease is rarer thanks to animal vaccination and prompt treatment after exposure, but wild animals and stray dogs might still serve as a source of infection.

Any mammal can contract rabies, including dogs, cats, jackals, foxes, wolves, cows, sheep, mongooses, badgers, and bats. In Israel, the main concern is from contact with wild animals, stray dogs, or animals whose vaccination status is unknown. The Ministry of Health defines possible exposure also as a bite, also as a scratch, and also as contact with saliva or body fluids of an infected animal.

How do you catch rabies?

Infection occurs mostly through a bite, when the rabies virus found in the saliva of an infected animal enters the tissue. Infection can also occur through a scratch contaminated with saliva, or in contact of infected saliva with the mucous membranes of the mouth, eyes, or an open wound. After entering the body, the virus advances along the nerves toward the central nervous system.

What are the signs of rabies in animals?

An infected animal can look aggressive, fearless, confused, or unusually friendly. Sometimes increased salivation, difficulty swallowing, paralysis, an unstable walk, or behavior that is inappropriate for the species and environment appear. A wild animal that approaches humans without fear, is active at atypical hours, or behaves in an unusual manner should be considered suspect until proven otherwise.

In the first stage, fever, headaches, weakness, pain, or a tingling and burning sensation in the bite area might appear. Later on, restlessness, confusion, swallowing difficulties, fear of water, fear of air drafts, hallucinations, convulsions, or paralysis might develop. After neurological signs have appeared, treatment can already hardly save the patient, and therefore the early referral after exposure is critical.
What needs to be done immediately after a bite or scratch?
The wound must be washed immediately with running water and soap for about 15 minutes, disinfected with 70% alcohol or iodine solution, and then one must turn as soon as possible to the District Health Office to evaluate the need for a vaccine against rabies. If the Health Office is closed, one should turn to the emergency department (ER). The Ministry of Health emphasizes that one must turn both when the animal is known and when it seems that it is vaccinated.

The treatment is determined according to the type of exposure, the depth of the injury, the identity of the animal, the previous vaccination status of the victim, and the status of their immune system. According to the Ministry of Health guidelines, whoever was not vaccinated in the past and is not immunosuppressed will usually receive 4 doses of active vaccine on days 0, 3, 7, and 14. In the case of a more significant exposure, such as a skin-penetrating bite, a passive vaccine is also given, which contains antibodies and is injected around the wound area, usually on the first day. In immunosuppressed individuals, a fifth dose is sometimes required, according to the team's evaluation and an antibody test.

In every bite or scratch, the vaccination status against tetanus must also be checked. If the vaccine is not up to date, the medical team will decide whether to give a booster dose. At the same time, antibiotic treatment will be considered according to the type of injury, its location, its depth, the patient's condition, and the risk of bacterial infection.

Do not feed jackals or other wild animals, do not leave food for cats or dogs outside the house at night, garbage cans must be closed tightly, do not leave food scraps in parks and night campgrounds, and ensure that dogs are leashed on walks. The Nature and Parks Authority emphasizes that reducing food availability is the central tool for reducing the entry of wild animals into localities.

Keep your distance, do not run after it, do not try to chase it away with your hands, do not feed it, and do not let children approach. If the jackal looks injured, aggressive, does not fear humans, enters yards repeatedly, or creates an immediate danger, report it to the municipal hotline or to the Nature and Parks Authority hotline *3639. In the case of a bite, scratch, or contact with saliva, do not wait for signs to develop, turn immediately to medical treatment.

Dr. Itay Gal is a specialist in pediatrics and youth medicine, a sports and aviation physician, and the medical commentator for Maariv