ILOILO – This province has recorded its first suspected rabies death this year.
The victim, a 17-year-old male from Barangay Tumcon Ilaya, Pototan, died at a tertiary hospital in Iloilo City on Jan. 3, said Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon, head of the Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO).
Rabies is a viral disease that is typically transmitted through the bite of an infected animal, often a dog. It affects the central nervous system, leading to brain disease and death if not treated promptly.
Symptoms can include fever, pain, tingling or burning at the wound site, progressing to symptoms of cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, confusion, agitation, and eventually, coma and death.
To determine the boy’s cause of death, the IPHO and the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), led by Dr. Darel Tabuada, conducted a joint investigation. They discovered that the victim was bitten by a dog in June 2023 but showed no signs or symptoms of rabies until December, despite not having received an anti-rabies vaccination following the dog bite.
In the first week of January 2024, the victim began complaining of side pain and difficulty in swallowing water.
On Jan. 2, he developed a dry cough accompanied by fatigue. Due to these symptoms and high blood pressure, his family decided to take him to the Iloilo Provincial Hospital (IPH) in Pototan.
The medical team there, upon learning about the dog bite incident, referred the patient to a tertiary hospital in Iloilo City, considering it a potential rabies case.
The patient received further evaluation and treatment at the hospital. The medical team advised the family that a rabies infection was possible and recommended a saliva test for confirmation.
Quiñon explained that while the victim’s symptoms could be attributed to various diseases, the history of a dog bite and other rabies-like symptoms led them to consider it a rabies case, pending test results expected in 10 to 14 days.
Following this incident, the local government unit (LGU) of Pototan, led by Mayor Rafael Enrique Lazaro, initiated response activities, including contact tracing and mass vaccination for around 120 people who had contact with the victim.
The activities also involved spreading accurate information about rabies and referring close contacts to the Animal Bite Center for vaccination.
It was revealed that the victim was standing outside his house when suddenly bitten on the right foot by a dog, allegedly owned by a barangay official.
The IPHO and PVO are campaigning for responsible pet ownership to reduce rabies cases in the province. They are encouraging dog vaccinations at the Municipal Veterinarian Office or Municipal Agriculture Office.
In recent years, the provincial government has allocated P8 million annually to purchase rabies vaccines, aiming to cover 70 percent of the total dog population in the province. LGUs are tasked with hiring vaccinators to administer these vaccinations.
In 2023, the province reported five rabies deaths from the municipalities of Igbaras, New Lucena, Mina, and Carles.
In an interview with DYRI RMN Iloilo, Mayor Lazaro confirmed that LGU-Pototan has already conducted mass vaccinations for 120 individuals who were in close contact with the victim. Personnel from the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) were also deployed to Barangay Tumcon Ilaya for mass dog vaccination./PN
