Rabies cases alarm PHO

When will Ilonggos learn to become responsible dog owners?

Provincial Health Officer (IPHO) OIC Dr. Patricia Grace Trabado expressed great concern over the new two cases of rabies this month of April involving dog bite victims from the municipalities of Lambunao and Ajuy.

Dr. Trabado disclosed that a three-year old girl from Ajuy was the latest casualty of rabies in the province who died April 6. Last April 5, a 75 year-old woman from Lambunao also died of rabies.

“With these two deaths this month of April and four others recorded in the previous months coming from Tigbauan, Sara, Mina and Carles we now have a total of 6 deaths due to rabies from January to April of 2005”, said Dr. Trabado.

Compared to last year's first quarter record of 1 rabies death incident, Dr. Trabado said the first quarter of this year had 4 casualties which is quite alarming.

She lamented that despite efforts of the provincial government, the IPHO and other support agencies to intensify the anti-rabies campaign and formulation and implementation of dog ordinances and promotion of responsible dog ownership in every municipality yet several people still become victims of dog bites.

Dr. Trabado emphasized that the campaign is not solely the responsibility of the local government units but of every dog owner.

“Every person should be responsible dog owners and should be involved, for if we are all responsible dog owners and with strict implementation of dog ordinances then probably we could stop this problem”, said Dr. Trabado.

Based on the 2004 record of the IPHO, of the 4,947 recorded animal bites reported by the different Rural Health Units, hospitals and animal bite centers 4,564 of these are dog bites and only 203 are cat bites while the remaining 108 are of other animal bites.

Last year's figures also showed that out of the 11 deaths caused by animal bites 9 of these are due to dog bites, 1 secondary to cat bites and the other 1 due to ingestion of a rabid dog's meat by a 23 year-old man from Alimodian.

In these 11 cases, 2 are recorded coming from Carles, Estancia and Leon and one each from Alimodian, Lemery, Pototan, Oton and San Dionisio.

Anybody could be a victim, said Dr. Trabado, young and old, since we are all exposed to rabies. Last year, the youngest victim recorded was 12 years old and the oldest was 58 years old. Most of these victims are also males.

With this, Dr. Trabado urged all concerned to participate in addressing the problem in order to protect human beings from becoming victims of dog bites. (PIA)