BAGUIO CITY – This city’s Animal Bite Treatment Center (ABTC) under the City Health Services Office (CHSO) recorded 1,000 animal bites in the first two months of the year.
Nurse Agnes Johanna Abad, ABTC manager, said the high number of individuals who sought treatment is a clear indication of public awareness on the availability of services at the city health facility.
In 2024, the ABTC recorded about 8,156 animal bite treatments. The number dropped to 7,099 last year.
Abad said that no rabies cases have been reported here except for one in an animal in 2021.
She advised individuals bitten by their pets or stray dogs and cats to immediately seek treatment from them to ascertain the type of bite they sustained and the treatment to be administered.
The CHSO assured safe vaccines for patients and remains vigilant in testing vaccine supplies to ensure they are safe and genuine.
Abad said the best defense and prevention against rabies is vaccination. "Rabies is 100 percent preventable but 100 percent fatal."