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Thursday, December 15, 2005
Girl, 4, dies after eating dog meat
By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
A FOUR-YEAR-OLD girl from Cauayan town in southern Negros reportedly died of rabies contamination at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) in Bacolod City Tuesday night.
The victim was identified as Ressia Mae Edoria, seventh among the eight children of farmer Renante Edoria in the remote barangay of Molobolo in Cauayan.
Renante disclosed that on Sunday they found a stray dog roaming around their barangay. Their neighbors caught, slaughtered and cooked its meat for viand.
Renante asked his neighbors to share with him the said food which in turn he shared with his family, Ressia Mae included.
The following day, Monday, Renante said Ressia Mae was already suffering from high fever. On Tuesday morning, Ressia Mae's condition got worse which prompted Renante to rush her daughter to the CLMMRH.
They reached the hospital at 2:54 p.m.
However, at about past 7 p.m., Ressia Mae expired.
Medical record revealed the victim had died of rabies and encyphalitis.
Provincial veterinarian Dr. Renante Decena, on the other hand, said provincial health officer Dr. Luisa Efren should immediately send a response team to Molobolo.
"It's alarming and those who might have eaten the cooked dog meat should be given proper treatment as soon as possible," Decena stressed.
Efren, however, was in Cebu City as of presstime.
Decena said Cauayan Mayor Jerry Tabujar together with the town's municipal agriculturist and health officer should also take drastic action on how to address the problem.
The provincial veterinarian cited the case in Candoni three months ago where there were also 14 people who ate the meat of a rabid dog.
However, they were saved from infection after Candoni Mayor Liberty Manzano brought all of them to Kabankalan District Hospital for proper vaccination.
Decena said in the case now in Molobolo, others who also ate the dog meat should be subjected to anti-rabies vaccine to prevent any contamination.
Meanwhile, Decena is appealing to everybody to adhere to Pinoy Responsible Owners of Dogs or P.R.O. Dogs Program.
The said program reminds everybody who own dogs to submit their pets to regular vaccination every three months.
Owners are also required to let their dogs take a bath everyday and feed them clean food and let them drink clean water.
These factors could at least prevent dogs to become rabid.
Most of all, Decena warned the public to avoid eating dog meat as he stressed, "This is a clear violation of Animal Welfare Act 8284 because dog is considered a pet and not a food animal."
Meanwhile, as of press time, Decena disclosed that another dog was confirmed positive of rabies from Barangayt Ma-ao, Bago City.
(December 15, 2005 issue)
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