Arde Balaga from Barangay Nangka in Consolacion town receives his first dose of anti-rabies vaccine on Thursday at the Mandaue City Animal Bite Treatment Center.|Photo: Mary Rose Sagarino
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — Mandaue City has recently recorded an increase in animal bite cases compared to previous weeks.
From the daily 100 to 200 individuals receiving anti-rabies vaccines at the Animal Bite Treatment Center in the Mandaue City Health Office, this has increased to about 300 to 400 individuals recently.
Some of them received their first doses, while a few have received their follow-up vaccinations.
One of those who availed themselves of the anti-rabies vaccine was Arde Balaga from Barangay Nangka in Consolacion town.
Balaga said that he was just walking when he was bitten by their neighbor’s dog, which had just given birth.
“Naa tungod sa balay nila, niya naa man sa ilawm sa lingkuranan, wala ko kabantay, nikalit siya og pamaak, pagtan-aw nako sa akoang tiil naa namay pinaakan,” said Balaga.
He will be back next week for his second and third doses.
Mandaue City Veterinarian Dr. Karen Merilles on Friday, April 5, clarified that the Animal Bite Treatment Center not only caters to Mandauehanons but also to neighboring local government units such as Lapu-Lapu City, Consolacion town, and the municipality of Liloan.
Merilles said that animal bite incidents usually increase during summer, but she cannot yet say if the extreme heat has contributed to this.
She added that March is considered Rabies Awareness Month.
“There is not enough evidence nga because of the weather, maong daghan napaakan. It’s because siguro nga summertime daghan ang mga bata outside, nagduwa, ang uban hilabtan ang puppies,” said Merilles.
From January to March, two rabies cases among pets were recorded. This is much lower than the 14 cases that were reported last year.
The city also did not record any rabies cases among humans this year or last year, said Merilles.
They continue to conduct anti-rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats in the city’s different barangays.
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