A one-year-old boy from Moises Padilla died of rabies, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Girlie Pinongan confirmed Tuesday, January 23.
The victim, a resident of Brgy. Magacahay, Moises Padilla, was bitten by his pet dog on the face on January 13 and died on January 22.
Pinongan said the family of the child did not seek treatment until his condition worsened and he was rushed to the Don Salvador Benedicto District Hospital in La Carlota City.
She said that based on the records of the Provincial Health Office, rabies cases went down in 2023, with six confirmed cases compared to 10 cases in 2022.
She reminded Negrenses to immediately seek medical attention and have themselves injected with anti-rabies vaccines if they are bitten by dogs.
Local governments should also intensify their campaign for responsible pet ownership.
Earlier, she urged municipalities in the province to procure anti-rabies vaccines for their respective constituents.