BONTOC, Mountain Province – Three dogs have tested positive for rabies in the municipality this year, per data from the Municipal Health Office (MHO) and the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist (OMAg). The two other rabies cases this year were recorded in the months of March and June.
Per investigation, a dog which was brought in from Baguio City bit a female resident in Upper Caluttit, Bontoc, on October 9, 2022 which was found to be rapid and anti-rabies shots were administered to the victim at the Bontoc General Hospital.
In response to this, the local government through the OMAg and the MHO, in partnership with the Provincial Veterinary Office, conducted mass vaccination of dogs, house to house information drive, and radio interview/announcement, to prevent and stop the spread of rabies in the central barangays within the week.
Meanwhile, municipal health officer Dr. Diga Kay Gomez is reminding the public to report to the MHO (09605831333) if bitten by a dog.
Gomez also advised the public to be on active surveillance and report any of the following symptoms of rabies in animals: unprovoked abnormal aggression, restlessness, incoordination and paralysis, lethargy, hoarse barking or inability to do so and hyper salivation, excessive salivation or foaming at the edges of the mouth.
In this regard, Mayor Jerome “Chagsen” Tudlong, Jr., appealed to the public to keep their pets on a leash or in a cage and confine them within their premises for everyone’s safety.
Likewise, the mayor advocated responsible pet ownership for a rabies-free municipality.
According to the Department of Health, the first symptoms of rabies are similar to those of the flu such as general weakness or discomfort, fever, and headache. As the rabies virus incubates inside the body, the person may experience an itching sensation around the bite area and symptoms of cerebral dysfunction such as anxiety, confusion, and agitation. Patients will later experience delirium, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, hydrophobia, and insomnia as the disease progresses.