Rabies in a dog commercially imported into Germany from Russia, 2026

Although rabies has been eliminated from most European Union countries, the risk of reintroduction persists through the movement of infected animals, particularly via non-compliant imports. We describe a case of rabies in a dog imported commercially from Russia to Germany in 2025. The infection was confirmed in February 2026, with phylogenetic analysis linking the virus to the Cosmopolitan lineage (cluster C1b). Investigations revealed documentation inconsistencies, including suspected falsified vaccination records, highlighting the need for strengthened import controls.