Rabies cases in Koronadal are still on the rise
The rabies cases in the City of Koronadal are still on the rise after the City Veterinary Office (City Vet) recorded another two (2) more cases last September, this year. Due to the recent new cases of rabies, the city has now recorded a total of eight (8) cases from six (6) in the past eight (8) months.
City Veterinarian Dr. Charlemagne Calo said that rabies case can be considered low in a certain place if no cases will be reported within six (6) months.
Considering the fact that the city is part of the Province of South Cotabato where rabies is endemic, Calo said that rabies case is hard to eradicate. However, to prevent its aggravation the city veterinarian continually urges all pet owners, especially dogs’ owner to have their pets vaccinated. He emphasized that this is the only way to keep the pet and the pet owners away from danger.
On the other hand, barangay Morales registered new cases of rabies recently. The dog’s head was immediately taken to the laboratory in Davao City for a thorough examination. The veterinarian further said that urban barangays like San Isidro and Sta. Cruz has the most number of cases because of its large population and the presence of subdivisions.
Meanwhile, due to the increasing number of rabies cases in the city, the veterinary office added another station to further expand its services. Currently, there are three (3) stations located in the new city hall, old city hall, and a demo farm in Barangay Gen. Paulino Santos (GPS).
Aside for service expansion, Calo said that the installation of additional vaccine stations may also serve as alternative assistance while the traditional house-to-house vaccination conducted by the veterinary technicians is temporarily suspended. The system will continue under the new normal situation to prevent any contamination caused by COVID-19.
Also, the veterinarian has made useful recommendations to pet owners where they often complain about the difficulty of bringing their pets for vaccination. He said, if the pet is to be ridden, it must be in the full stomach to make it behave and if the dog is huge it must be tied so it will not jump.
Furthermore, Calo said that difficulty dealing with pets should not be an excuse not to get vaccinated because it simply means that the dog has not been well cared for.