Bohol to unleash P16M Anti-rabies campaign

ANOTHER round of Provincial Rabies Prevention and Eradication Program (PRPEP) would unleash at least P16M in a desperate effort to contain a disease that has the potential to scare off tourists scampering out of Bohol with tails between their legs. The issue has also alarmed Capitol owing to the fact that rabies may become a potential threat to the tourism industry of the province, a letter signed by Gov. Erico Aumentado inviting Provincial Anti-Rabies Council members to a consultative conference states. Rabies is a viral infection of animals that can be transmitted to humans. It is caused by a virus of the Rhabdoviridae family, which attacks the central nervous system. The virus is usually excreted in the saliva of an infected animal. Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms or signs appear, says a rabies website in the country.

The virus is usually transmitted through the saliva of infected animals, most often by a bite or scratch or licks on broken skin or mucous membrane, such as the eyes, nose or mouth. In very rare cases, person to person transmission has occurred when saliva droplets were dispersed in the air. The P15,919, 134 PRPE Program to be implemented in 4 years is hoped to finally produce results in attaining the dream of becoming next to Siquijor with zero rabies cases since 2000, says Provincial Veterinarian Stella Marie Lapiz during a consultative meeting at the Capitol Thursday, January 11. The reinvigorated program came after a similar program single-handedly launched an anti-rabies program years back. Now, veterinary and health authorities in Bohol have raised a howl over the alarming 10 human death cases caused rabies in at least two quarters of last year.

Data from the Regional Consultative Rabies conference has revealed that Bohol tops cases of human rabies infection, putting region 7 in the top ten list of hotspots in the country. Of the region's 9 human rabies cases, 7 have been from Bohol , states a power-point presentation done by Pvet Lapiz during the conference. This is over an above the often unreported cases, a common incident as health authorities openly admit that Bohol hospitals do not have the necessary laboratory equipment to diagnose human rabies cases. Other than the physical manifestations and the informant's history of the bite report, local authorities have acceded to the officially recorded 974 cases of animal bite cases last year, Dr. Reymoses Cabagnot, who is also the Provincial Health Officer said during the conference.

To put a stop-gap mechanism other than the more palliative solution explored by the Provincial Veterinarian's Office authorities, the reinvigorated program contains not just allocating funds for the purchase of human rabies vaccines, but also for the massive rabies vaccination program set for the entire province. In a project proposal presented during the consultation, Dr. Lapiz meant the PRPEP to incorporate development of program implementation guidelines, a massive localization approach adoption, dog population control measures and massive vaccination. Moreover, the program includes reduction of dog-to-dog and dog to man contact, strict surveillance and quarantine at ports of entry as well as institutionalization of responsible pet ownership. It also incorporates policy support and advocacy as well as research, Lapiz assures.

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