BAGUIO CITY – Animal Bite Clinics located in the different Health Centers and Hospitals remind the public of the importance of vaccination this Rabies Awareness month.
Rabies Awareness Month, which is occasionally celebrated this march, is filled with various activities highlighting the importance of raising awareness on a) having one’s pets vaccinated, b) practicing proper washing of the bitten wound, and getting immediate and appropriate care by health workers, and c) having everyone be reminded of proper rabies prevention and treatment.
Agnes Johanna Abad, a nurse of the City Health Services Office (CHSO), emphasized the importance of getting vaccinated against animal bites as it is the best protection against symptoms of an animal bite, particularly rabies. Most especially if the individual is unsure whether the bite obtained from an infected dog is a carrier of rabies.
Abad further explained that they had encountered cases of bitten patients immediately showing symptoms of rabies, resulting in the patient’s immediate passing if not treated appropriately. There are also some cases where it takes a few weeks before symptoms show in rabies.
Based on the available data from 2022, 4.568 individuals were treated for an animal bite last year at the City Health Services Office – Animal Bite Clinic.
No human-caused rabies has been registered in Baguio City for the past two decades.
Rabies is a human infection that occurs when an infected animal, such as a dog, cat, cow, or cattle, bites or scratches them on the skin. It can spread when an infected substance, typically saliva, comes into contact with a victim’s fresh skin sores.
Rabies is considered to be a preventable disease. It can be fatal if not treated immediately and appropriately, but it still is preventable. It is not one of the country’s leading causes of mortality and morbidity, but it still is a public health concern, especially in the city. By Graysheil Frae Runes
