There’s no more reason to delay getting an anti-rabies shot if one is bitten by a dog or cat.
The Department of Health (DOH) is providing free vaccines against the deadly infection in all 480 animal bite treatment centers across the country this year. The aim is to stamp out human rabies that caused the deaths of more than 220 people in 2015.
In a press briefing, Health Secretary Janette Garin said the full course of post-exposure prophylaxis equivalent to eight doses of anti-rabies vaccines would be administered free of charge to those seeking emergency treatment for animal bites.
“If you’ve been bitten by a pet or a stray animal, don’t ignore it. Immediately seek medical attention from the nearest bite center where you will be given the proper treatment,” Garin appealed to the public.
Rabies is a deadly viral disease that is mainly spread by bite but exposure may also occur through contamination of broken skin or mucous membranes with the saliva of an infected animal.
The DOH says rabies is considered a neglected disease that is “100 percent” fatal but also highly preventable.
The incubation period or the time for the infection to develop for rabies can be as short as a few days but can also last as long as five years.
But roughly 95 percent of people who have been infected by a rabid animal develop the disease within a year.
The DOH also warned that once a patient starts showing symptoms, there is no more treatment and he or she usually succumbs to the infection within 10 days.
In the Philippines, rabies is still considered a significant public health problem with over 1,100 Filipinos seeking emergency treatment for animal bites each day last year. Rabies also accounts for at least 200 deaths in the country every year.
DOH records show that a total of 432,458 animal bite cases were reported last year with 226 fatalities.
“None of these deaths should have occurred since we have the necessary interventions to prevent rabies such as the promotion of responsible pet ownership, early consultation when bitten by animals and timely administration of vaccines,” said Garin.
While cats and other livestock animals also carry the virus, dogs are the primary source of rabies transmission. But unknown to many, a big bulk of rabies infection is acquired from pet dogs rather than from stray ones.
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