Rapid assessment of Rabies in Northwest Syria - December 2023 : Assessment Report

Rabies has been endemic in the area of present-day Syria since antiquity [1,2]. However, very little information about rabies in Syria is available, especially since the start of the civil war in 2011. For the period from 1997 to 2002, a higher rabies incidence rate was reported for Syria in comparison with its neighbor Lebanon. Community-owned dogs and stray dogs are considered to be the main problem [2]. Before the civil war, the Syrian government was carrying out annual culling campaigns to control the stray dog population. Since 2011, these campaigns ceased, and the lack of regular veterinary services, the displacement of millions of people combined with an increase of the stray dog population seems to have exacerbated the rabies situation. – In response to numerous reports of suspected rabies cases in humans in Northwest Syria in 2023, the FAO Cross-Border Unit for Northwest Syria, based in Gaziantep, Turkey, initiated a rapid assessment of the rabies situation in Non-Government Controlled Areas of so-called “Greater Idleb”, comprising Idleb Governorate and a small part of Aleppo Governorate.