THE Davao City Veterinarian Office (CVO) expressed alarm over the 27 rabies cases in Catalunan Grande in 2018.
Gay Pallar, CVO focal person for rabies control program and chief of Animal Disease Prevention and Control Section, said on Monday, March 4, during Kapehan sa Dabaw at The Annex of SM City Davao that Catalunan Grande topped the list of having the most number of rabies cases among the 182 barangays in the city.
Hence, they have strengthened their mass dog vaccination program in the area to address this problem.
“Ang concentration last year is ang Catalunan Grande. Nag house-to-house ta og vaccination ug impounding didto na area kay medyo alarming kay sila jud ang pinakadagan sa tanang barangays, (Our concentration last year was in Catalunan Grande because of the alarming cases of rabies. We did a house-to-house vacination and impounding of stray dogs),” Pallar said.
Based on their record, Tugbok district has eight cases, followed by Toril (six), Buhangin (five), and Bunawan (five).
For this year, two new rabies cases were recorded in Catalunan Grande.
“Dili nata maghulat nga ma-alarm since so far, aware naman ang mga tao sa rabies, (We will not wait before it reaches to a more alarming level. So far, people are aware of what rabies is),” she added.
She said the residents at Catalunan Grande were more receptive to their vaccination program. They also conducted vaccination in neighboring barangays to prevent the increase of rabies cases.
Meanwhile, CVO impounded a total of 3,588 stray dogs.