2 areas in Cebu to be declared “rabies-free”

CEBU, Philippines - As the National Rabies Awareness Month culminates today, the Provincial Veterinarian’s Office said that two areas in Cebu are being recommended to be declared as rabies-free zones.

Provincial veterinarian Mary Rose Vincoy said that Bantayan Island and Barangay Zaragosa in Badian town have qualified to the national declaration.

She explained that both recorded no dog and human rabies cases for the past two years and have been observing the international requirement of 70-percent vaccination coverage for the total dog population in their area.

“But aside from that, naa silay existing dog surveillance, katong mo-submit sila og (dog) head samples sa laboratory. Naa pod silay ordinance at the same time and active ilang anti -rabies task force,” she added.

The declaration will be done on September 28 during the World’s Rabies Day. In 2011, the Department of Health declared the islands of Camotes and Malapascua as rabies-free zones in the country.

The Provincial Veterinarian’s Office is also calling dog owners to have their pets vaccinated. As part of the rabies awareness month, the Provincial Veterinarian’s Office has been conducting free rabies vaccination drive specifically to those areas with history of rabies cases and those with low vaccination coverage.

The free vaccination drive would continue even after the rabies awareness month through the help of the Bill and Melinda Gates’ rabies-free Visayas Project where Cebu is one of the recipients.

“Mao na nga naa tay daghang bakuna for dogs. Dapat ang vaccination coverage nimo is taas aron protected ang mga tawo ana nga area... Karon ang challenge sa mga gi-declare is how to maintain,” she said.

The record shows that there are around 300, 000 dogs in the province, as of the year 2013.

Vincoy said that positive cases of  rabies dropped in 51 local government units while the vaccination coverage increased since 2008.

Positive human rabies also decreased from seven in 2008 to three in 2013. The three human rabies cases were reported from the cities of Toledo, Bogo, and Naga. (FREEMAN)