Rabies
Image/CDC
The lethal diseases remains a major public health issue in the Philippines as health officials reported a total of 1,176 human rabies cases from Jan. 1, 2014 to June 30, 2018, averaging about 250 fatalities annually.
The hardest hit regions include Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Soccsksargen.
Health officials contribute the high number of human rabies cases to vaccinated pets. In fact, dogs are responsible for as much as 99 percent of rabies transmissions to humans annually.
In addition, a reluctance to seek rabies post exposure prophylaxis after sustaining a dog or cat bite or scratch and failure to continue the required number of post-bite vaccinations are contributing factors to the high incidence.
Dengue in the Central Visayas
Health officials in the Central Visayas are calling the dengue situation “alarming”. More than 6000 cases and 37 deaths have been reported during the first quarter of 2019, compared to 1,768 cases and 12 deaths last year, a 245 percent increase.
DOH regional medical officer Dr. Ronald Jarvik Buscato said of the dengue situation in the region, “We can already described it as an epidemic”.
Nationally, the Philippines has reported 52,595 dengue fever cases, including 210 fatalities, through Mar. 23, 2019.
Related:
- Malaysia dengue total tops 38,000 cases
- H7N9 avian influenza reported in Gansu, China: 1st human case of 2019
- Measles in Hong Kong rising, Continued spread possible
- African swine fever now reported in Cambodia
- Measles vaccination campaign: Nearly 4 million children immunized in Philippines
- Philippines: Six Neglected Tropical Diseases remain prevalent in the country
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