ISLAND GARDEN CITY OF SAMAL, March 21 (PIA) - More than 200 hundred undergraduate students of Holy Cross of Babak Inc.(HCBI) gathered for the Rabies symposium as part of Rabies Awareness Month Celebration at Babak school campus, Babak District, Island Garden City of Samal last March 15, 2013.
For a better grasp of rabies virus contamination, a film showing on Rabies Case at HCBI social hall and actual rabies vaccination was made by the staff of the City Veterinary Office at their campus.
The symposium was facilitated by the city government through the City Veterinary Office, Rabies Control Committeein partnership with the Department of Education, Davao del Norte Hospital Samal Zone andin coordination with themanagement of HCBI.
Dr. Catherine Mancio Valera, Davao del Norte Hospital- Samal Zone Head present during the occasion emphasized control and prevention of rabies and urged students to become responsible pet owners in order for Samal to achieve the rabies free IGaCoS in 2015.
“Ang tao ang pinaka- smart sa tanan animals , so kailangan we are responsible for our pets, atong pabakunahan ang atong iro, liguan ug talian para dili makapaak”(The humans are smartest among animals, so let us be responsible with our pets, submit them for vaccination, bath and leashed them so they cannot bite), Renz Allan S. Lacorte, Grade 7 (First year) of HCBI urged his fellow students.
The students assured cooperation to disseminate information to others as responsible pet owners and help the city government’s campaign for free rabies IGaCoS.
As per report from Davao del Norte Hospital Samal Zone, Samal got zero canine and human rabies case and 294 cases of animal bite cases from January to December 2012. In 2011 data, IGaCoS had zero rabies case but registered 226 animal bite victims, a difference of 68 cases compared to 2012.
“An increase in animal bite was observed but this was probably due to the intensified advocacy campaign regularly made in the barangays with the help of the BRAVES Team wherein the people became knowledgeable of the program and readily report cases to the concerned authorities”, Dr. Edunel Sala, IGaCoS Veterinary Officer said.
“Our target on dog vaccination for this year is 10,000 dogs and we are glad to say that in the first quarter (January 2013 – present), we were able to vaccinate a total of 2,723 heads of dogs, an excess of 223 to our 2,500 target in the first quarter,” Sala added.
Rabies vaccination was regularly conducted in the barangays by Barangay Rabies Control Team known as BRAVES. The BRAVES Team was organized by the City Veterinary Office after a Barangay Rabies Awareness and Vaccination Enhancement Seminar was conducted in the Barangay. The Team was trained on proper rabies vaccination, given pre-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for rabies protection and to also perform other tasks in eliminating rabies in their respected areas.
One rabies case was reported but as per investigation the puppy containing the rabies virus was purchased in Davao City coming from an unknown source. The puppy died due to rabies in three days after biting the owner fortunately the owner was safe after he underwent complete anti-rabies vaccination.
The City Veterinary Office continuously conducts dog registration, vaccination and information campaign in the barangays. They also impound stray dogs in major thoroughfares though sometime they were restrained by necessary resources needed to conduct the activities.
Sala appealed for a concerted effort in attaining rabies free city. He urged the cooperation and participation of all the stakeholders here in Samal which is known to be a tourism destination in Mindanao.
City Mayor Aniano P. Antalan persistently asked for cooperation and support to the program emphasizing its enormous effect on tourism and its great impact to the economic development of the city.
Samal City is aiming for a free rabies city by 2013 in close coordination with the Department of Health –Center for Health Development, Department of Agriculture, Department of Education and other national and local agencies in intensifying the campaign and implementation. (Melrose SAMAL CIO)
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