Help eradicate rabies

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

The dog population today in the Philippines is approximately 300 million while the human population is 92 million, a ratio of 3:1 for every Filipinos.

In 1979, the Van Houweling Research Laboratory of the Silliman University Medical Center, Dumaguete City, then headed by Dr. George Beran, developed and produced a dog vaccine that gave a three-year immunity from rabies. The development of the vaccine resulted in the elimination of rabies in many parts of the Visayas and Mindanao Islands, and was later used by other countries in their fight against rabies.

In addition to these developments, newer and less expensive purified chicken embryo cell vaccine, and purified Vero cell rabies vaccine are now available. Currently, pre-exposure immunization has been used on domesticated and normal non-human populations.

Negros Oriental currently has an estimated total dog population of 95,000 and is targeting a five percent reduction in the total dog population as part of its anti-rabies campaign. The Provincial Veterinary Office and the local government units is a recipient of funds from the Melinda-Bill Gates Foundation.

The PVO has two methods in preventing the local dog population from bloating is by neutering and castration. However, both methods are expensive. The most common is by injecting rabies vaccine on the dogs. Rabies can be prevented by vaccination, both in humans and animals.

As of July this year, 48,000 dog heads had been given anti-rabies vaccine in the province. Negros Oriental is also targeting to reach at least 80 percent of the total dog population to be immune from the rabies virus this year.

We urge dog owners to avail of the free vaccines being offered by the PVO to help control rabies and also practice responsible pet ownership to achieve a rabies-free community.*