The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said that Central Luzon recorded the highest number of rabies cases in the first five months of this year.
The agency said the region comprising the provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales logged 21 cases from January 1 to May 17, 2025.
These are part of the 124 rabies cases recorded across the country during the period.
Next to Central Luzon is Zamboanga Peninsula with 15 cases and Calabarzon with 12 cases.
However, the number of cases recorded this year dropped by 32-percent compared to the 183 logged during the same period in 2024.
"Even if the numbers are low, rabies is terrible because once you’re bitten by an animal infected with rabies and have symptoms, the fatality rate is high. The case fatality rate of rabies is 100 percent, and infections happen all year round because it is transmitted by cats and dogs infected by the virus," the agency said.
To prevent rabies, the DOH urged pet owners to have their pets vaccinated so they cannot transmit the virus.
The agency also advised parents to supervise children when playing with cats and dogs as they might do something that would trigger the animals to bite.
Under the Rabies Control Act, anti-rabies vaccines for cats and dogs are administered by local government units for free, while private veterinary clinics offer them for P100 to P400.