Tuesday, September 11, 2007 Province holds anti-rabies info drive
LINGAYEN -- In celebration of the Anti-Rabies Month, the Pangasinan Provincial Government has conducted an information and education campaign in schools province-wide to raise the level of awareness of Pangasinenses about rabies, one of the top 12 killer diseases in the world.
Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino Jr. has urged all local government units in the province to adopt the passage of anti-rabies ordinances by their respective municipal and city councils to procure drugs and other materials needed in the campaign.
Dr. Eric Jose Perez, officer-in-charge of the Provincial Veterinarian’s Office, said there are 94 cases to date reported to their office, mostly from Western Pangasinan.
The Philippines was ranked by the World Health Organization (WHO) as third in the world of having many reported cases of rabies. This prompted the National Government to intensify efforts to make the Philippines a rabies-free country.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed into law on May 25, 2007 Republic Act (RA) 9482, otherwise known as the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007, an act “providing for the control and elimination of human and animal rabies, prescribing penalties for violation thereof and appropriating funds therefore.”
It’s a consolidation of Senate Bill (SB) 2541 and House Bill (HB) 4654 passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on February 9, 2007 and February 10, 2007, respectively.
Rabies is a highly fatal disease caused by a lyssa virus, transmitted mainly through the bite of an infected animal and is characterized by muscle paralysis, hydrophobia and aerophobia, and other neurological manifestations.
It is considered fatal if left untreated before the onset of serious symptoms like fever, cough or sore throat followed by more serious and rapidly progressing symptoms such as restlessness, hallucinations and seizures. The final stage is coma and death. (LCMY/Sunnex)
