Belgian authorities are calling on dog owners to be vigilant after a case of rabies was detected in Germany.
The dog was brought to Germany in November through a Russian organisation, and died in January shortly after developing symptoms of the viral disease, according to the Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (AFSCA) in a statement on Tuesday.
The pet was revealed to be younger than what was originally indicated on its health certificate, meaning it was impossible to appropriately vaccinate it against the virus.
The fraud in the dog's documents is calling into question the reliability of the certificates for other animals from the organisation.
As a precautionary measure, 50 dog owners in Belgium who adopted their pets in the last six months through the Russian organisation are being contacted and asked to be vigilant for changes in their pets' behaviour or possible rabies symptoms, such as fever, loss of appetite, and paralysis.
Rabies is one of the deadliest viruses for animals and humans, killing around 60,000 people every year. The virus can be transmitted through a bite, scratch or a lick from an infected animal.
An infected animal might not show rabies symptoms for six months before developing the disease. Once symptoms appear, there is no treatment and the disease is fatal.
While Belgium is considered to be rabies-free, a total of 51 cases have already been reported in Europe this year, with most cases found in Eastern Europe and Turkey, according to the AFSCA. Infected animals are also regularly found in Russia.
