CEBU CITY, Cebu, March 18 (PIA) -- In observation of Rabies Awareness Month this March, the Department of Health Region 7 (DOH-7) urged pet owners to be responsible in handling their pets.

DOH-7 has observed an increasing number of animal bite incidents in the region, and the department aims to raise awareness on the importance of responsible pet ownership as the core principle in preventing animal bites and rabies incidents.

Responsible pet ownership also means having their pets vaccinated against rabies regularlyl. 

During the March 17 episode of the Kapihan sa PIA, DOH-7 Medical Officer III Dr. Ronald Jarvik Buscato stressed how responsible pet ownership will help reduce the cases of animal bites and rabies incidents.

“To address this concern, the core principle here is responsible pet ownership, which is about giving your pets the complete vaccination, paghatag sa tarong nga pagkaon, paghatag nila sa tanan nilang gikinahanglan, og pagbantay nga sila dili magakagawas o makalakaw sa bisan asa (feeding them well, attending to their needs, and making sure they don't get out of the house and go around unattended),” said Buscato.

“Ang rabies is a fatal disease, pero rabies is 100% preventable. Malikayan natu ang pag develop og full blown rabies kung sakto ang atoang bakuna against the disease og madawat natu ni nga bakuna sa sakto nga panahon (Rabies is a fatal disease but it is 100% preventable. We could avoid full-blown rabies cases if our pets are regularly vaccinated against the disease)," he added.

According to DOH, pet owners can go to the Bureau of Animal Industry or their municipal or city veterinarian in their respective local government units to avail of the free anti-rabies vaccination.

Pet owners should ensure that their pets will receive at least three to four doses of anti-rabies vaccine.

There are 66 animal bite treatment centers strategically located in the entire region to serve several communities.

All of these centers are quality assured and passed the standards set by the World Health Organization.

In 2021, Central Visayas has recorded 130,000 animal bite cases and 16 rabies suspect cases with 75% of the rabies cases coming from dog bites.

With its call for responsible pet ownership, DOH-7 hopes to achieve a "rabies-free" status for all the provinces in Central Visayas prior to the full implementation of the Universal Health Care law.

The country targets to become rabies-free by 2030. (RGC/PIA7)