Rabies Cases Investigated in France's Occitanie Region

French health authorities in the Occitanie region recently reported a fatal rabies case in a resident located in the southernmost administrative region of metropolitan France.

Rabies is not thought to circulate in either wild or domestic animals in France, although some species of bats can carry a rabies-like virus.

Investigations into this rabies infection, which is believed to be related to travel abroad, are ongoing.

As of October 1, 2025, all veterinarians in the metropolitan area, in conjunction with the departmental population protection directorates, have been informed and made aware of this situation. 

The last "endemic" case was a fox in Moselle in 1998. After 2 years without any cases, France became officially free in 2001. 

Rabies is a vaccine-preventable disease in France and the United States.

According to the U.S. CDC, bats, not dogs, are the leading source of rabies infections in people in the USA.