10-year-old dies of rabies in Negros Occidental

Rabies claimed at least one more life this month, with a 10-year-old from Sagay City in Negros Occidental province as its latest victim.

This brought the fatalities from rabies in the province to four, Bacolod-based news site Visayan Daily Star reported Thursday.

Provincial Veterinary Officer Renante Decena said the boy, a resident of Barangay Puey in Sagay City, died on June 11, several weeks after a dog bit him. He failed to seek immediate medical attention, the report said.

Earlier this year, a boy from San Carlos City, a woman from Cadiz City, and another boy from Sagay also died of rabies.

Earlier, Decena said rabies outbreaks had been declared in three cities and two towns in Negros Occidental after dogs from these places tested positive for the virus.

He said that even if only one dog tests positive in an area, it will be considered an outbreak, since the dog will be presumed to have bitten other stray dogs and potentially spread the virus.

Decena said the city has conducted dog vaccination in the areas where rabies fatalities were recorded.

He said another 10,000 doses of anti-rabies vaccines are to arrive in Negros Occidental.

Data from the provincial veterinary office showed there are 219,000 dogs in Negros Occidental but only 24,000 have been vaccinated.

The report added there are 4,000 reports of dog bites in Negros Occidental, but provincial health officer Ernell Tumimbang said this is not considered alarming yet. — Joel Locsin/JDS, GMA News