BACOLOD City – The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) of Negros Occidental is aiming for a comprehensive dog vaccination to reach an accomplishment rate of 70 to 80 percent this year.
Dr. Renante Decena, provincial veterinarian, said dog vaccination coverage in 2019 was “low” at only 54 percent after a “very high” rate of more than 80 percent in 2018.
Last year’s dog population in the province – excluding this capital city – was estimated around 262,000, based on household survey, and does not include stray dogs.
“We have to lobby to the provincial government and local government units (LGUs) to allocate budget for the purchase of vaccines this year,” he said.
The national government, particularly the Department of Agriculture (DA), did not release vaccines to the LGUs last year.
“Our vaccines on-hand are only for quick response, which means within a one-kilometer radius of an area with dog positive of rabies, like in Barangay Camindangan in Cauayan earlier this week, which has the first rabies case this year,” Decena said.
In 2019, there were lower number of confirmed positive rabies cases in Negros Occidental, but the deaths have increased, PVO records showed.
A total of 20 confirmed positive rabies cases were reported last year, which is 36 percent lower than the 33 cases in 2018.
Decena credited the reduction to the “very high” vaccination rate in 2018.
Positive cases of rabies in 2019 included 19 in various localities and one in Bacolod City.
Himamaylan City reported the highest number of cases, with seven, followed by Candoni and Sipalay City with three and two cases, respectively. Cities of San Carlos, Silay, Cadiz, Victorias and Talisay, and towns of E.B. Magalona and Salvador Benedicto have one case each.
There were 10 confirmed and suspected rabies deaths last year, from only seven cases in 2018. These were reported in Himamaylan City and Cauayan with two each, and Moises Padilla, Bago City, Sagay City, Toboso, and Hinoba-an with one each. (With a report from PNA/PN)
