March is the (Philippines') Department of Health's Rabies Awareness Month.
Rabies is an terrifying and fatal neurological disease. Once symptoms are apparent, there is no cure and there is a rapid progression to death. Bring your pets in for free vaccinations at your local Animal Health and Safety Center, and consider vaccinations for yourself and your family if you live in an area with Rabies, or plan to go camping and mountain climbing this summer.
Spelunkers (Cave Explorers) beware! Rabies can be acquired by inhaling the virus laden air found in caves with large numbers of bats.
Because it is slow progressing in the initial stages, Rabies may start days or even weeks after exposure through an animal bite, lick on broken skin, or scratch or, beer drinkers beware, by eating parts of an infected animal. By then, it is too late.
Fortunately, vaccination is a simple and effective means of protecting yourself, your family, and your beloved pets from Rabies. Most towns and municipalities have a free rabies immunization program for domestic animals, all you need to do is bring your pet to a nearby animal health and safety center.
Metro Manila and the Bicol region are known to be rabies hotspots. Consider vaccination if you intend to visit places with Bats and stray animals, or go camping and mountain hiking. Even popular Boracay has had known Rabies cases in both people and animals.
The cost of a preventive Rabies vaccine is far less than the cost of post-exposure Rabies vaccination. Bat bites, for example, frequently go unnoticed. That bat that brushed against you during a hike may have just inoculated you with his Rabies-infected saliva.
All animal bites are a medical emergency. Seek treatment as soon as possible. Even previously vaccinated individuals will need follow on treatment following an exposure.
Thankfully, new Rabies vaccines are painless, requiring only short-needle injections to the arms or buttocks, unlike older types which required daily intra-abdominal injections.
Many towns and all hospitals have bite centers that can administer the initial Rabies shots, then refer you to another center or hospital for follow-on treatment, a series of hassle-free shots over a period of a month.
