ILOILO CITY – The death of a man from what appeared to be rabies-like symptoms is puzzling health authorities in Iloilo province as he was not bitten by a dog and tested negative for rabies.
The Iloilo Provincial Health Office (PHO) is coordinating with the Department of Health (DOH) to conduct a deeper probe into what caused the death of the 33-year-old man from Dingle town.
“We consider this an ‘unusual’ or ‘unique case,’” said Dr. Rodney Labis, chief of the Iloilo PHO Health Service Delivery Division.
The man died last July 17 after experiencing symptoms such as difficulty breathing, hallucinations, stomach pains, and had a hard time drinking water, for a week.
When the man died, he was listed as a rabies case as his symptoms fit the definition of DOH for rabies fatalities.
A saliva specimen was taken from the man which was sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Muntinlupa City for testing. The man tested negative for rabies.
“We are now coordinating with DOH to remove it in the medical census since he tested negative for rabies,” noted Labis.