THE Provincial Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (PADDL) of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) is now capable of performing rabies diagnosis using the latest Direct Fluorescent Antibody Test (DFAT).

Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena, in a press release, said DFAT is considered the “gold standard” for post-mortem diagnosis of rabies infection.

Decena added that Negros Occidental is the first province in Western Visayas to have the said latest test for rabies diagnosis using the most modern equipment for the utmost accuracy of results.

The said facility worth P2.66 million is manned by qualified laboratory personnel who undergone a series of trainings on performing such examination at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

Using this technology, confirmatory diagnosis of rabies infection will now take up two days only. Unlike the previous, one would wait for a week to wait for the diagnosis.

Results are being released by the Philippine Animal Health Center in Quezon City where specimens are submitted for confirmation.

Decena said this reduces the agony of waiting by dog bite victims in finding out whether the animal is rabid or not.

He said faster release of results will also facilitate the early administration of appropriate post-exposure treatment for the bite victims.

PVO records show an increased number of samples being submitted to PADDL for rabies diagnosis. It ranges from an average of 24 samples in the previous years to 47 samples as of October 31, 2018.

Records also showed that the number of positive rabies cases in the province has already reached to 29 as of last November 21.

It is higher than 22 cases during the whole year of 2017, it added.