GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Veterinary personnel in South Cotabato are targeting to vaccinate all pet animals, especially dogs, in the province this year as to moves to prevent the emergence of rabies cases have intensified.
Dr. Flora Bigot, acting head of the Provincial Veterinary Office, said Friday they have expanded their house-to-house anti-rabies vaccination activities for dogs, especially in areas where an outbreak were previously recorded.
She said they intend to reach even the remotest barangays in the province to “ensure that no one will die because of rabies.”
“It is important for our dogs to be vaccinated with anti-rabies every year,” she said in an interview.
Since January, the Integrated Provincial Health Office’s epidemiology and surveillance unit (Pesu) has not recorded any case of rabies infection within the province’s 10 towns and lone city.
In 2017, the province recorded the highest number of rabies cases and deaths in recent years with 18.
The confirmed rabies deaths were recorded in Koronadal City and in the municipalities of Banga, Lake Sebu, Polomolok, Tboli, Norala, Surallah and Sto. Niño.
A Pesu report said majority of the victims, mostly children, were bitten by unvaccinated pet animals.
Dogs were the most common carrier of the rabies virus, with 10 found positive in Lake Sebu; one each in Banga, Sto. Nino and Polomolok; and, three each in Norala and Koronadal City.
Owing to this, Bigot urged residents to voluntarily submit all their pet animals for regular vaccination.
“It is the responsibility of the owner to submit their dogs for annual dog vaccination. The government’s responsibility is to make vaccines available for everyone,” she said.
She said vaccination is the “cheapest and the first step to loving your dogs” and it remains the most effective strategy to combat the spread of rabies.(AC/PNA)
