BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental was aiming for a 70 to 80 percent accomplishment rate for its comprehensive dog vaccination this year, according to the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO).
Provincial veterinarian Dr. Renante Decena said dog vaccination in 2019 was “low” at only 54 percent after a “very high” rate of over 80 percent in 2018.
“We have to lobby to the provincial government and local government units (LGUs) to allocate budget for the purchase of vaccines this year,” Decena added.
The Department of Agriculture did not release vaccines to the LGUs last year, he said.
“Our vaccines on-hand are only for quick response, which means within a one-kilometer radius of an area with dog positive of rabies, like in Barangay Camindangan, Cauayan (last week), which has the first rabies case this year,” Decena said.
In Negros Occidental, excluding Bacolod City, last year’s dog population was estimated to be around 262,000, based on a household survey. This does not include stray dogs.
In 2019, there were lower number of confirmed positive rabies cases in the province but the deaths have increased, PVO records showed.
A total of 20 confirmed positive rabies cases – which include 19 in various localities and one in Bacolod City – were reported last year, it added.
Himamaylan City reported the highest number of cases with seven, followed by Candoni town and Sipalay City with three and two cases, respectively. Cities of San Carlos, Silay, Cadiz, Victorias, and Talisay, and the towns of E.B. Magalona and Salvador Benedicto have one case each.
There were 10 confirmed and suspected rabies deaths last year, from only seven cases in 2018. These were reported in Himamaylan City and Cauayan with two cases each, and Moises Padilla, Bago City, Sagay City, Toboso, and Hinoba-an with one each.(With a report from PNA/PN)
