The Davao City Veterinarian’s Office vaccinated a total of 104,429 cats and dogs from January to September.
Gay Pallar, head of the Animal Disease Prevention and Control Section, said on Thursday during the Ispeak media forum at City Hall that the number is higher than the 101,693 heads vaccinated last year.
“We conduct vaccination twice a week and the vaccination continues in every barangay,” Pallar said.
Recently, CVO has conducted free spay & neuter services for female cats and dogs, to reduce the population of stray pets which may possibly contribute to the spread of rabies in the city.
She said that as of September, three high risk cases of rabies were identified in Talomo, Buhangin, and Toril.
“We found that these dogs are those which are unvaccinated through laboratory tests of deceased dogs submitted at our office,” she added.
Pallar said that the persons bitten by dogs or cats were immediately given medication by the City Health Office through its Animal Bite Center.
“The incubation of rabies bacteria in dogs lasts up to 14 days while in humans 90 days, which is why it is necessary for deceased dogs to be examined first so that person bitten may still avail of medicines against rabies,” Pallar said.
She added that those bitten by dogs with rabies can only avail of the medicines as long as the person does not show any symptom/s of rabies such as hydrophobia as it is a manifestation that the virus has already reached the brain and thus cannot be treated anymore.
Pallar also said that they have ample supply of vaccines until the end of the year; however, there is shortage of supply on human rabies vaccines due to its production.
Meanwhile, CVO has recorded a total 41 rabies cases so far this year, hoping that the number of cases will no longer increase as the city aims to be rabies-free in 2020.
Pallar said that in 2017, the city has a total of 3,225 impounded dogs and 2,520 total impounded dogs from January to September 2018.
