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[av_heading heading=’8 rabies cases in Iloilo in 2 months’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”][/av_heading]
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February 9, 2018
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ILOILO – For the first two months of 2018, a total of eight animal rabies cases were confirmed by the Regional Animal Disease and Diagnostic Laboratory in this province but without any human death.
Rabies is a highly fatal viral disease that primarily affects warm-blooded animals other than man, notably dogs, cats, rats, and bats, but which can be transmitted to humans by infected animals.
The rabies virus, which is present in the saliva of an infected animal, is passed to a human through a bite, or rarely, when the animal’s saliva gets in contact with a scratch or fresh break in the skin.
The province has 37 confirmed animal cases of rabies in 2017 and one human rabies death in Passi City.
The provincial government hoped to further curb rabies cases with the arrival of 10,000 vials of anti-rabies vaccines for a province-wide dog vaccination this summer.
The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) of the Department of Agriculture provided the vials.
The shipment was part of the 16,500 vials worth P6.6 million allocated by BAI for Iloilo.
The rabies virus primarily affects the central nervous system. The early symptoms of rabies in people are similar to those of many other infection — fever, headache, and general weakness or discomfort.
As the disease progresses, more specific symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, salivation, difficulty in swallowing, and hydrophobia (fear of water).
“With the early arrival of the anti-rabies vaccines, the province can jumpstart the one-time high density mass vaccination and wrap up the same by June,” said Provincial Veterinarian Silvino Teodosio Jr.
In 2017, the Provincial Veterinary Office immunized only 59.7 percent or 150,085 out of 251,481 registered dog population which was way behind its 70 percent target.
“The target of 70 percent was not met because rabies supplies arrived on April well behind the optimum time to mount a massive mass vaccination which is usually during January to May,” explained Teodosio.
Rabies is a serious public health problem in the country. The Philippines is among the top 10 countries with the highest incidence of rabies in the world. Department of Health officials estimate that about 100,000 Filipinos are treated for dog bites and 200 to 300 die from rabies annually.
Among Filipinos, dogs account for 98 percent of rabies infection, cats account for the remaining two percent.
An infected dog can transmit the rabies virus even before it becomes ill, but it will invariably manifest signs and symptoms of rabies including change in behavior such as unprovoked aggressiveness and excitability, paralysis, and hydrophobia within five days, and die within two weeks, after it gets infected. (Jezza Nepomoceno, Iloilo Capitol/PN)
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