80% of Taguig pets are now rabies-free

Got bitten by a dog in Taguig? Never fret. Chances are, the animal is rabies-free.

More than 80 percent of the total population of dogs and cats in the city has been vaccinated against rabies, three (3) months into the launch of the Taguig City Anti-Rabies Drive (TCARD) in March 2017.

TCARD involves house-to-house visits of veterinarians all throughout the city with the aim of vaccinating pets.

Under the program, the local government has so far provided free anti-rabies vaccination shots to 15,712 cats and 50,373 dogs, or a total number of 66,499 animals in all of the city’s 28 barangays.

According to Taguig City Veterinary Office officer-in-charge Dr. Alexis Siblag, 70 percent of the total population must be given the vaccine shots in order to control rabies.

“We are extremely happy that the recent report shows that we have exceeded our goal and have vaccinated 80% of the total population in such a short period of time,” Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano said.

Dr. Siblag said a human could also be afflicted with rabies through the bite of an infected mammal. Ninety eight (98) percent of human transmissions, however, are caused by dogs.

The Taguig City Health Office currently has five Animal Bite Treatment Centers (ABTC) in Brgy. Ibayo-Tipas, Brgy. Old Lower Bicutan, Brgy. Pinagsama, Brgy. Upper Bicutan, and Brgy. North Signal which are open to provide Taguigeños bitten by rabies-exposed animals with free treatment and vaccination.

Rabies exposure is classified into three (3) categories: the first category involves touching, feeding, licking of healthy skin with no mucous membrane contact, casual contact with rabid patient; the second category involves superficial scratch/abrasion on the person without bleeding, nibbling/nipping of uncovered skin with bruising; and the last category involves a single or multiple transdermal bites/scratches, licking of mucous membrane, all head and neck exposures, exposure to rabid patient, handling of infected remains of an animal, and licks of broken skin.

All are subject to different levels of treatment provided for free in the five existing animal bite centers.

Aside from the free vaccination shots under TCARD, the Taguig City Veterinary Office is offering free spaying and neutering for dogs and cats as a population control measure.

The Veterinary Office also recently launched an adopt-a-dog program which allows residents to adopt and provide a home for rescued dogs currently housed at the Taguig City pound. ###

FILIPINO VERSION

80% ng hayop sa Taguig ngayon ay rabies-free

Nakagat ka ba ng aso sa Taguig? Wag ka nang mag-alala dahil malamang ang hayop na iyon ay rabies-free na.

Mahigit kumulang 80% ng kabuuang populasyon ng aso at pusa sa buong syudad ay nabakunahan na laban sa rabies, tatlong (3) buwan mula nang inilunsad ang Taguig City Anti-Rabies Drive (TCARD) noong Marso 2017.

Ang TCARD ay ang pagbabahay-bahay ng mga beterinaryo sa buong bayan na may layon na bakunahan ang mga alagang hayop.

Sa ilalim ng nasabing programa, ang lokal na pamahalaan ay nakapagbigay na ng anti-rabies vaccination shots sa 15,712 pusa at 50,373 aso, o may kabuuang bilang na 66,499 na hayop na matatagpuan sa 28 barangay ng Taguig.

Ayon kay Taguig City Veterinary Office officer-in-charge Dr. Alexis Siblag, 70 porsyento ng kabuuang populasyon ng hayop ang dapat mabigyan ng bakuna upang makontrol ang rabies.

“Nagagalak kami dahil ayon sa mga ulat ay nagawa nating malampasan yung ating layunin at sa katunayan ay nakapagbakuna pa ng 80% ng kabuuang populasyon sa loob lamang ng napakaiksing panahon,” wika ni Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano.

Isinaad ni Dr. Siblag na ang tao ay maaring mahawa ng rabies sa pamamagitan ng kagat ng mammal na may dala nito. Gayunpanman,  ninety eight (98) porsyento ng pagkakahawa ng tao ay dahil sa mga aso.

Ang Taguig City Health Office ay kasalukuyang mayroong limang Animal Bite Treatment Centers (ABTC) na matatagpuan sa Brgy. Ibayo-Tipas, Brgy. Old Lower Bicutan, Brgy. Pinagsama, Brgy. Upper Bicutan, at Brgy. North Signal na bukas para magbigay ng libreng paggamot at bakuna sa mga Taguigeño na nakagat ng mga hayop na rabies-exposed.

Ang pagkahawa sa rabies ay may tatlong kategorya: una ay mula sa paghawak sa balat ng isang hayop na may rabies; pangalawa ay kung nakalmot ng hayop na may rabies, at pangatlo, kung nadilaan ng hayop ang ulo o leeg ng tao at kung nahawakan ang bangkay ng hayop na namatay sa rabies.

Sinumang nahawaan ng rabies ay gagamutin ng libre sa limang nabanggit na animal bite centers ayon sa pamahalaang panlungsod ng Taguig.

Maliban sa libreng bakuna sa ilalim ng TCARD, ang Taguig City Veterinary Office ay nagbibigay din ng libreng pagkakapon sa mga aso at pusa upang makontrol ang populasyon ng mga hayop.

Inilunsad din kamakailan ng Taguig City Veterinary Office ang programang adopt-a-dog  na nagbibigay ng pagkakataon sa mga residente na mag-ampon at bigyan ng tahanan sa mga rescued dog na kasalukuyang namamalagi sa  Taguig City pound. ###