Rabies in Poland: nine outbreaks this year, the latest in a fox on 23 October; cats must be vaccinated in at-risk areas — what owners and travellers need to know

What was reported

On 29 October 2026 Poland's General Veterinary Inspectorate (Główny Inspektorat Weterynarii) published updated figures on rabies in animals. According to lab results, nine outbreaks have been confirmed in the country since the start of the year: four in Lublin province, three in Podkarpackie, and one each in Podlaskie and Mazovia.

The latest outbreak was found on 23 October 2026 in a fox in the village of Chotyniec (Radymno municipality, Jarosław county, Podkarpackie province). In areas under threat from rabies, local orders from veterinary services and provincial governors apply, including an obligation to vaccinate cats against rabies.

Where rabies has been found

The inspectorate gives a full list of outbreaks in 2026:

• 13 April — cat, Zalesie (Biała county, Lublin province);
• 29 April — raccoon dog, Białystok (Podlaskie province);
• 18 August — fox, Janów Podlaski (Lublin province);
• 3 September — fox, Sarnaki (Łosice county, Mazovia);
• 14 September — marten, Solina (Lesko county, Podkarpackie);
• 17 September — fox, Telatyn (Tomaszów county, Lublin province);
• 2 October — fox, Lubycza Królewska (Tomaszów county, Lublin province);
• 14 October — marten, city of Przemyśl (Podkarpackie);
• 23 October — fox, Chotyniec (Radymno municipality, Podkarpackie).

All the outbreaks are in the east of the country, in provinces that border or lie close to Belarus and Ukraine. Six of the nine cases came in September and October.

Which animals are affected

The main carrier of rabies in Europe is the red fox, and the Polish figures confirm this: five of the nine outbreaks were in foxes. Another two cases were in martens and one in a raccoon dog. These wild predators often live close to people — in gardens, on the edges of villages and near farms.

The case in a pet cat in April stands out. Cats that go outdoors, hunt and fight with wild animals can catch rabies from an infected fox or marten. And a cat can pass rabies to a person through a bite or scratch.

Why the measures cover cats

In Poland, rabies vaccination is compulsory for dogs but not for cats. So in areas where rabies has been found, local authorities are bringing in extra rules: orders from county vets in Łosice, Biała Podlaska, Tomaszów Lubelski and Przemyśl, as well as from the governors of Lublin and Podkarpackie provinces. The measures include an obligation to vaccinate cats against rabies.

These areas are known as rabies threat zones. As well as vaccination, there may be limits on hunting and on dogs and cats roaming freely, along with additional monitoring of wild animals.

How Europe almost got rid of fox rabies

Just half a century ago, rabies in foxes was commonplace in many European countries. Oral vaccination changed that: baits containing vaccine are dropped from planes over forests and fields, and foxes eat them and gain immunity. This is how rabies in wild animals was eliminated in most of Western and Central Europe.

Poland has been laying these baits for many years too, usually in spring and autumn. But in the east of the country rabies returns from time to time: wild animals don't recognise borders, and the disease is more common in neighbouring countries. So each new outbreak in eastern Poland prompts local measures and additional vaccination campaigns.

Don't touch vaccine baits

If you're walking in a forest in eastern Poland and see small brown blocks, they're most likely vaccine baits for foxes. Don't touch them and don't let your dog eat them. The vaccine is meant for foxes, and the baits belong in the forest, not in your hand or your dog's bowl. If your dog does eat a bait or you touch the vaccine, tell a doctor or vet.

What rabies is

Rabies is a viral disease that attacks the nervous system and is almost always fatal once signs appear. The virus is passed on in the saliva of an infected animal — through a bite, and sometimes when saliva gets into a scratch or onto a mucous membrane. It can take from several weeks to several months from infection to the first signs.

Rabies shows itself in different ways in animals. Wild animals lose their fear of people and come into villages during the day. Pets may become aggressive or, on the contrary, listless and hide, with drooling, difficulty swallowing and paralysis.

How rabies shows in dogs and cats

In pets, rabies usually takes one of two forms. In the "furious" form, the animal becomes restless and irritable, attacks people and other animals, bites objects and may run away from home. In the "dumb" or paralytic form, it's lethargic and hides, the lower jaw hangs, it drools and struggles to swallow, and paralysis follows. Both forms are fatal within days of signs appearing.

The key thing to remember is that a change in character is one of the first signs. If an affectionate cat suddenly turns aggressive, or a timid dog loses its fear of strangers, and there's been a fight with a wild animal, call your vet urgently.

If you find a dead or strange-acting fox

A fox that calmly approaches people during the day, comes into a yard, doesn't run away or staggers may be sick. Don't approach it, feed it or try to catch it, and take children and dogs away. Report it to the local veterinary service — in Poland, the county vet — or the police. Don't touch dead foxes, martens or raccoon dogs with bare hands either: they're tested for rabies in a laboratory, and such finds help spot a new outbreak in time.

And bats?

Even in countries where fox rabies disappeared long ago, related rabies viruses occur in bats in Europe, including the UK. Cases are rare, but a bat that has fallen to the ground or flown into a house shouldn't be picked up with bare hands. If it bites or scratches a person or pet, see a doctor or vet straight away.

What to do if bitten

If you've been bitten or scratched by a wild animal, or by a stray dog or cat behaving strangely:

1. Wash the wound at once with soap and water for at least 15 minutes.
2. See a doctor the same day — only a doctor can decide whether you need vaccination after a bite. Started in time, it protects against the disease.
3. Don't try to catch the animal with bare hands. Report it to the veterinary service or police.

If your pet has been bitten, call your vet: even a vaccinated animal may need a booster and monitoring after contact with an infected animal.

Vaccinating dogs and cats

Vaccination is the main protection for your pet against rabies. It's given to puppies and kittens from three months old and then repeated on the schedule set by your vet and required by the vaccine manufacturer. In Poland dogs must be vaccinated, and now cats too in threat zones. Even where there's no such obligation, vaccinating a cat that goes outdoors in an affected area is a sensible decision. The vaccine is safe for most animals, and your vet can advise on the schedule and record boosters in your pet's passport.

Travelling with your pet

To travel with a dog, cat or ferret between EU countries you need a microchip, a pet passport and a valid rabies vaccination: at least 21 days must pass after the first vaccination before travel. Rules for travel from Great Britain differ, so check them in advance. If you're going to eastern Poland, to forested areas near the border, keep your dog on a lead and don't let them approach wild animals, especially any behaving strangely.

What owners in other countries need to know

Rabies in wild animals in the EU is now found mainly near the eastern borders, but the disease can reach other places, for example with dogs and cats imported without documents. So vets across Europe advise against taking animals from countries where rabies is widespread without vaccination and documents, and showing any animal brought from abroad to a vet straight away. If you've taken on a dog or cat from a rescue in Eastern Europe, check the rabies vaccination date in its passport and get the next one on time.

When to see a vet

See your vet urgently if your dog or cat has fought with a wild animal, been bitten by an unknown animal, or if you notice strange behaviour: aggression, fear, drooling, difficulty swallowing or unsteadiness. Don't touch a sick animal with bare hands. If you've been bitten or scratched by an animal of unknown vaccination status, see a doctor the same day.