THE DEPARTMENT of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) in Western Visayas called on the public to immediately seek consultation after being bitten or even just scratched by a cat or dog as the number of deaths due to rabies has been increasing in the region. The DoH Epidemiology Bureau reported that Western Visayas had 17 rabies deaths, the same total number recorded for the entire 2018. “Negros Occidental recorded eight death cases, the highest in the region followed by Iloilo and Aklan with three cases, Capiz (2) and Iloilo City with one death,” Liz G. Mardoquio, program coordinator of the Rabies Prevention and Control Program said last week. Ms. Mardoquio said there is enough vials of vaccine in the region. “Just this May, we received around 24, 000 vials from our central office. We also have allotted P8.1 million worth of vaccine procured in the last quarter to our animal bite treatment centers in the region,” she said. From January to April this year, the region recorded 22,206 animal bite cases, based on the data from DOH-CHD. In 2018, the region had 93, 520 cases. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

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