PVO-Bataan intensifies vaccination of dogs

CITY of BALANGA, Bataan – Louie Tripon, Livestock Inspector at the Bataan Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) reported that they are now vaccinating dogs in Dinalupihan after rabid dogs from nearby Pampanga province infected local dogs in the boundary of town of Dinalupihan.

After having reported rabies-free incident from 2010 to 2014, rabies claimed three lives in Bataan while another 22 cases were also reported in a sudden surge of rabies in year 2015 in the province Bataan.

Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal.

The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. The early symptoms of rabies in people are similar to that of many other illnesses, including fever, headache, and general weakness or discomfort.

As the disease progresses, more specific symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, hypersalivation (increase in saliva), difficulty swallowing, and hydrophobia (fear of water). Death usually occurs within days of the onset of these symptoms.