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CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu province ranked fourth in the Philippines in the number of rabies cases, while Cebu city had zero cases of deaths caused by rabies.
The Human Rabies and Bite Victim Report of the Center for Health Development in Central Visayas recorded 1,741 animal bites and two deaths for Cebu province for the first quarter of this year.
Cebu city, on the other hand, recorded 11 rabies cases for dogs but no records of deaths caused by the disease.
However, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said the city was unable to meet its target to decrease rabies cases by 50 percent.
Dr. Alice Utlang, Cebu city veterinarian, said they wanted to cut by half the cases, which reached 18 last year.
“We aim to make Cebu City rabies-free by 2010,” Utlang told Cebu Daily News.
Utlang said she will recommend to the mayor’s office that barangays (villages) found not to be enforcing a city ordinance on pet registration will not be given medical and financial assistance.
Rachel Cadelina, regional rabies coordinator of the Department of Agriculture in Region 7, said the figures show that people in Cebu province are more vigilant in reporting rabies cases to health authorities.
She said the population of dogs in the rural areas of the province can also be considered a factor in the number of rabies cases reported. /Reporter Marian Z. Codilla
