(PI) FWD: 1 dead, 23 feared infected after eating rabid dogs

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends

 

The following report appeared in the Philippines Sun Star on 15th

June.

 

ONE man died and 23 others are under observation after eating rabid

dogs in Maasin, Iloilo.

 

Rolando Carmelita, Jr. died after he cooked and ate a rabid dog. He

also fed the said meal to his relatives. Not contented, they cooked

and ate two more rabid dogs.

 

Carmelita was found to be infected with rabies.

 

The Rural Health of Maasin is now appealing to the provincial

government for its support.

 

Rabies remains a public health problem in the Philippines.

Approximately 300-600 Filipinos die of rabies every year. Our country

ranked third worldwide in rabies incidence in 2004. Western Visayas

is among the top three regions with the highest incidence of rabies

with 279 cases, while Iloilo Province topped the list having the

highest number of rabies cases in the provincial level.

 

In 2005, although the region was able to decrease the canine rabies

by 11 percent, an alarming situation was still palpable. In fact, it

had the highest human rabies cases or deaths due to rabies in the

whole country with 39 human deaths as compared to the 33 deaths

recorded in the Bicol region.

 

This means a total of P53,950,015 was spent to provide active and

passive post exposure treatments to human dog-bite victims. Last

year, the region spent P9,724,800 for canine rabies vaccine purchases.

 

Rabies is an acute, contagious infection of the central nervous

system, caused by a specific virus that enters the body through the

bite of an animal. All warm-blooded animals are susceptible, but the

disease is most common in dogs, and cats. Most of the cases of rabies

in humans are caused by the bite of one of these animals. Dog remains

the principal reservoir of

rabies in the country while canine species followed closely.

 

The most cost effective measures against rabies are through

vaccination of dogs and education of dog owners and the public on

responsible pet ownership.

 

By Kathy Villalon Cinco

--

 

" The most cost effective measure " against incidents like this is

simply obeying the law that forbids dog eating. In a country where

rabies is so rife, surely it is reckless in the extreme to disregard

this law. Whether it was intentional or not, the Republic Act 8485

protects humans as well as dogs. It seems that some laws cannot

always be broken with impunity, even if they are not enforced by

corrupt and indifferent authorities.

 

Our continued thanks for your support and for caring enough to want

to make a difference.

 

From all the team at ITD

itd