31/03/2026
โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ
The rabies prevention month is observed in the Philippines every march, with the goal of educating the people about the dangers of rabies, how it spreads and to promote responsible pet ownership to help mitigate the disease.
Rabies is a severe viral illness typically transmitted through saliva of a stray animal and most often spread through bites or scratches of an infected animal that carry the RABV virus which attacks the brain and nervous system. The virus travels through the nervous system making it hard for your body to detect it, which is why symptoms may take weeks or even months for an infected person to feel. Once symptoms develop it is almost always deadly. Nonetheless it is 100% preventable through proper actions such as vaccinations, awareness of the disease, and immediate medical attention.
๐๐ฒ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฌ:
๐๏ธEarly symptoms include
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Severe headache
- Tingling pain or itching at the bite area
๐๏ธSevere symptoms (neurological)
- Dysfunction
- Anxiety
- Difficulty swallowing
- Hallucinations
- Hydrophobia
- Excessive salvation
- Confusion or agitation
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ฌ
Preventing rabies needs consistent actions not just from individuals but also with communities. In the Philippines Prevention is highly emphasized to build awareness and proper measures.
- Vaccinate pets
- Home pets such as cats and dogs should be vaccinated by anti-rabies on schedule.
- Practice accountable pet ownership
- keep pets safe indoors to not only protect other people but also protect the animal from contracting the disease
- Avoid contact with stray or rabid animals
- anyone can get rabies; therefore, it is a must to avoid specific encounters which put you at risk.
- Promote community awareness
- Conduct informational campaigns or seminars to spread awareness to people
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎโ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฅโ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ง ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ก๐๐.
1. Clean the wound immediately
- Wash the wound right away for 15 minutes
2. Get immediate care
- Go to a healthcare care center or a animal bite center as soon as possible
3. Follow the doctorโs advice
- You may need to get a vaccine to prevent rabies
4. Report the incident to the local authorities
- this is to prevent further casualties
Lastly, let us support local health veterinary programs and participate in government-led rabies control programs especially if you own stray cats or dogs. We also encourage reporting and monitoring animal bites in your area and ensure access to vaccines and medical services in the community. Rabies is deadly but preventable. Proper measures and immediate actions save lives.
๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ/๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ:
https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/hcp/clinical-overview/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/symptoms/index.html
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/13848-rabies
https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/prevention/index.html
๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐: Junil Bangero, COE
๐ท๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐: Naomi Yu, CPD
