By John Noel E. Herrera
The Iloilo Provincial Veterinary Office (IPVO) reported 23 canine-positive rabies cases in different towns of the province as of May 2023.
Data from IPVO indicated that 16 Iloilo towns recorded canine rabies cases from January 1 to May 25, which include three cases in Miag-ao; two cases each in Santa Barbara, San Miguel, Cabatuan, and Lambunao, while the towns of Guimbal, Igbaras, Pavia, New Lucena, Alimodian, Janiuay, Pototan, Dumangas, Barotac Nuevo, and Concepcion logged one case, respectively.
IPVO chief Dr. Darel Tabuada explained that dogs, particularly stray ones, that have bitten a person are being caged and observed for symptoms of canine rabies.
Tabuada added that these dogs would be examined through laboratory testing and those that tested positive would be depopulated by personnel of the Municipal Agriculture Office.
The IPVO is also calling on the public to be responsible pet owners as most of the cases were considered stray dogs.
A dog is considered stray if it gets out of the owner’s premises and the latter has no immediate or direct control over it.
Tabuada also urged the public to submit their dogs for vaccination, so that rabies cases and deaths in the province will not increase this year.
The province has already recorded two human rabies fatalities this year after a 28-year-old man from Igbaras, Iloilo was bitten by a dog at the esplanade in Guimbal, and following the death of a 37-year-old man from Barangay Bitaog Gaja in New Lucena town.
As to the vaccination, the IPVO chief noted that they are aiming to vaccinate 70 percent of the total dog population in the province or 215,000 heads out of 307,578 total population, as the provincial government alloted P8 million funds for 20,150 vials of vaccines which they have already distributed in all the Local Government Units (LGU’s) in the province.
FAILED CAMPAIGN?
Meanwhile, with two rabies deaths already reported as of May 2023, Iloilo Third District board member Matt Palabrica said that the campaign against rabies this year is a failure.
“The deaths, lantawon naton kay amu na ang basihan eh. Hindi mabutigan ang numero, so, meaning failure kay may nagakapatay eh,” Palabrica stressed.
He pointed out that controlling the population of dogs is one of the main problems that need to be addressed in order to prevent canine rabies cases and deaths.
Palabrica also urged all the LGUs and other partner agencies to strengthen their campaign against rabies, particularly at the grassroots level.
“I think if the LGUs will always play softball on the issue of controlling dogs, the stray dogs, there will always be a problem on rabies. Gani nagapanawagan kita sa LGUs and other counterparts to give due diligence to the campaign against rabies,” he said.
The provincial government previously aimed to declare Iloilo rabies-free by 2025 or 2026, but Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) chief Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quinon earlier said that the province will not reach its goal as Iloilo already has two confirmed human rabies deaths.
“Unfortunate nga tani kita gusto ta man sa 2025-2026, but then maisol ang province-wide,” Quinon said.
The IPHO chief explained that there must be no recorded canine rabies cases and human rabies deaths in Iloilo within three years for the entire province to be declared as rabies-free.
