By Leilanie Adriano/PNA
LAOAG CITY — The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) has started deploying vaccinators in various parts of the province to ensure all dogs get anti-rabies shots.
PVO chief, Dr. Loida Valenzuela said Wednesday the intensified drive on dog vaccination supports the local government unit (LGU) efforts for rabies prevention and control as mandated by Republic Act No. 9482, otherwise known as the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007.
In time for the rabies awareness month this March, Valenzuela said LGUs are being encouraged to reactivate their respective municipal rabies control units.
As of this posting, a team from the PVO is assisting in vaccinating dogs in parts of Badoc town and Batac City.
“After Badoc and Batac, our team will be going to Pagudpud where there was one reported case of rabies recently,” she said.
Valenzuela reminded pet owners to become responsible and ensure that their pets are kept from stressful situations, such as exposure to hot daytime temperatures or confinement in a cage all day.
The massive dog vaccination and neutering is among the services of the PVO in an effort to achieve zero rabies case by 2020.
Records from the National Rabies Prevention and Control program show there are about 300 to 600 Filipinos who die of rabies every year.
Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute inflammation of the brain in humans and warm-blooded animals, with dogs being the most commonly involved.
Early signs include fever and tingling at the bite site, usually followed by violent excitability, a fear of water, paralysis in some parts of the body, or loss of consciousness.
Once symptoms appear, the disease is nearly fatal, usually manifesting one to three months after the bite.
