MANILA, Jun 5 (NNN-PNA) – The Philippines has tallied 169 human rabies cases and 160 deaths from Jan to May this year, the government said, today.
The country’s Department of Health (DOH) said, the number of cases this year is 13 percent higher than the 150 cases recorded in the same period last year.
Over 90 percent of the cases contracted the virus from dog bites, while around six percent from cat or other animal bites. The DOH said, it is still checking the status of the nine patients who contracted the deadly virus.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), rabies is a vaccine-preventable viral disease affecting the central nervous system. The incubation period for rabies is typically two to three months, but may vary from a week to a year, depending on factors such as the location of virus entry and the viral load.
Health Secretary, Teodoro Herbosa, urgently calls on all Filipinos to get their pets vaccinated against rabies and to seek immediate medical attention, if they are bitten by dogs or cats.– NNN-PNA
