By Erwin Nicavera/PNA
BACOLOD CITY — The Negros Occidental Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) has acquired the capability to perform rabies diagnosis using the latest Direct Fluorescent Antibody Test (DFAT).
Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena, in a statement on Thursday, said the DFAT is considered the “gold standard” for post-mortem diagnosis of rabies infection.
Through the Provincial Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (PADDL), Negros Occidental is the first province in Western Visayas capable of conducting the latest test for rabies diagnosis using the most modern equipment for utmost accuracy of results.
The PHP2.66-million facility is manned by qualified laboratory personnel who have undergone a series of trainings on performing such examination with the Department of Health’s Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.
Using this technology, confirmatory diagnosis of rabies infection will take only two days from the previous week.
Results are being released by the Philippine Animal Health Center in Quezon City where specimens are submitted for confirmation.
Decena said this reduces the agony of waiting by dog bite victims in finding out whether the animal is rabid or not.
Faster release of results will also facilitate the early administration of appropriate post-exposure treatment for the bite victims, he added.
PVO records show an increased number of samples being submitted to PADDL for rabies diagnosis — from an average of 24 samples in the previous years to 47 samples as of October 31 this year.
