Mandaue City logs 3,655 animal bite cases for first 4 months of 2023

THE Mandaue City Animal Bite Treatment Center (MCABTC) has recorded a total of 3,655 animal bite cases for the first four months of this year.

According to data from the center, there were 764 cases of animal bites in January, 742 in February, 1,027 in March, and 1,122 in April.

The five barangays that have the highest number of cases are Paknaan with 305, Tipolo with 222, Canduman with 193, Pagsabungan with 187, and Umapad with 185.

City Councilor Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, chairman of the Committee on Health, said on Friday, June 2, that rabies cases are mostly caused by stray dogs.

"Kani atung mga stray dogs kasagaran ani maoy naay rabies kay may klarung pagkaun. Ara ra sa mga garbage magkaun-kaun unya init kaayu way inom-inom ug tubig mao gyud na kasagaran. It's not the pet animals nga maoy naay rabies," said Ruiz, who is a physician by profession.

(These stray dogs are typically the ones who carry rabies because they don't have proper food. They just scour the trash for meals. They also don’t have access to water despite the heat. Pet animals are not the ones that have rabies).

Soon-Ruiz reminded the people bitten by dogs or cats to treat their wound by washing it with water and detergent to avoid infection, and avoid putting it with vinegar or garlic.

The Mandaue City Health Office provides free anti-rabies vaccination for all ages during office hours except on Wednesday.

On Thursday, June 1, the office was able to attend to 300 patients with animal bite cases.

Soon-Ruiz said the MCABTC also accommodates people from the neighboring areas such as Consolacion and Liloan.

Meanwhile, the City Veterinarian Office said that there were a total of 7,445 dogs and 1,304 cats that received anti-rabies vaccines for the months of January to May this year. (HIC, TPT)