ILOILO CITY: The Office of the City Veterinarian is going massive with its anti-rabies vaccination campaign and is calling for responsible pet ownership amid the six confirmed cases of animal rabies in Iloilo City during the first quarter of 2024. 'Unfortunately, we already registered six confirmed positive animal rabies cases, compared to three cases whole year of last year. So it's sort of alarming and a cause of concern,' City Administrative Assistant I Andrew Murray D. Durano said in a press conference on Thursday. The confirmed cases came from Barangays Tabuc Suba (Puerto Real), Baldoza, and Caingin in La Paz district; Sooc in Arevalo; and Rizal Estanzuela and Tanza Timawa I in City Proper. 'That's why we always promote rabies awareness and animal welfare. Rabies is not just an animal welfare concern. It is also a public health. It could affect both humans and animals. To control rabies, we must start from the source - the animals,' he added. Durano noted that while they concentrate on dogs, they als o vaccinate, spay, and neuter cats because they are also a source of rabies. To achieve herd immunity, the Office of the City Veterinarian this year targets to vaccinate 31,500 heads or at least 70 percent of the 45,000 dog population. The estimated cat population in the city is 17,000. Durano said the city government allocated PHP1.5 million to acquire vaccines sufficient to achieve herd immunity. While the procurement is yet to arrive, they have buffer stocks of 6,000 vials last year that they used to kick-start the vaccination. Source: Philippines News Agency
