Health and veterinary officials in Negros Oriental are urging local government units to strictly adopt rabies control and prevention measures in their areas after one human death case due to rabies infection was reported early this year, a Philippine Information Agency press release said.

Provincial veterinarian Dr. Antonio Mutia, in a consultative conference Wednesday, noted the low awareness in most communities in the grassroots level of rabies prevention, and proper dog bite treatment, despite the existence of functional animal bite centers in the five local inter-health zones in the province, the press release said.

Mutia, with assistant provincial health officer Dr. Edgardo Barredo, stressed the need for a heightened awareness campaign in the local communities. This includes responsible pet ownership for pet owners to keep their dogs leashed, and rabies immunizations up to date, and knowing what to do when bitten by an animal.

Mutia lamented that there are still bite victims who seek out “tandoks”, a type of folk medicine that places a deer horn over the wound, for treatment, the press release said.

The Department of Health has declared this method as ineffective, because patients who received tandok treatment died either of rabies or tetanus.

Despite the reported case of one human death due to rabies in the province in March, Mutia hoped there will be no more human deaths for the rest of this year.

The PVO has earlier targeted goal of zero human deaths due to rabies for 2010, the press release said.

Reports show that on December 26, 2009, a man from Mabinay who was visiting Dumaguete City was bitten by a dog in Brgy. Camanjac, and failed to seek proper medical treatment.

The victim reportedly boarded a V-hire back to Mabinay after the incident, where he eventually succumbed to rabies on March 1 this year. Since January to April, 2010, three animal rabies cases were recorded in the province, the press release said.

The PVO is targeting to vaccinate 80 percent of the province’s total dog population, which is now at 97,948. However, only 12,535 of the targeted 78,358 dogs have been vaccinated so far.

Dumaguete veterinarian, Dr. Lourdes Socorro, attributes this to several factors, primary of which is that dog owners cannot handle their own pets, the press release said.

SEARCH

The Provincial Rabies Control Committee has also launched a search for the best barangays in the rabies control program, to encourage local government units to strictly enforce rabies control and prevention measures.

A rabies evaluation team has been formed to conduct on-site evaluation and judging of the top three barangays endorsed by the six local inter-health zones in the province.

Each of the six local inter-health zones will submit its three barangay entries, which will be evaluated by the team based on a set of criteria. The judging will start June 4 and will end June 16, the press release said.

The team is composed of representatives from the Integrated Provincial Health Office, Provincial Veterinary Office, Department of Education, Department of Interior and Local Government, and the Philippine Information Agency.

The first scheduled evaluation is in Bayawan City on June 4, where the team will evaluate the three barangays endorsed by the Sta. Bayabas health zone. These are barangays Tayawan, Ubos and Villareal, in Bayawan, the press release said.

Sta. Bayabas covers Sta. Catalina, Bayawan City and Basay.

Only Sta. Bayabas has so far submitted entries for the search.

The nominated barangays will be judged based on the absence of human rabies cases in their area, presence of a barangay ordinance based on Republic Act 9482 or the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007, presence of rabies prevention and control activities, and dog registration and dog vaccination accomplishment, the press release said.

Winners in the provincial search will be evaluated for the regional level in Cebu City, after which, the regional winners will compete at the national level.

Provincial veterinary officer Dr. Antonio Mutia said the awarding of the national winners will be during the World Rabies Day observance in September, the press release added.*

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