Statement on rabies from the Istanbul Governor's Office

The Istanbul Governor's Office has issued a statement regarding content appearing on social media and news websites titled "A rabies outbreak is occurring in Istanbul." In its statement, the Governor's Office indicated that reports of an alleged recent increase in rabies cases do not reflect the truth.

The statement emphasized that "such news and social media posts are based on rabies vaccination data in Istanbul, but these figures have been misinterpreted." The Governor's Office further announced that "the last recorded rabies case in Istanbul was in 2007." The announcement also included the statement, "Since that date, no rabies cases have been encountered in any living creature in the city."

Reporting that a total of 123 thousand 538 rabies vaccinations were administered across Istanbul throughout 2025, the Governor's Office stated that all of these vaccinations were carried out as a precautionary measure. It was announced that the majority of these vaccination procedures were applied as a precaution following incidents such as attacks by stray animals or contact with the saliva or scratches of pets.

News Source: 12punto