Do you know what the scariest part of Halloween is?
No, its not the ghosts, nor the spooky ghost stories those networks peddle every year to scare you. One of the scariest and perhaps most deadly things out there are dogs, the stray ones or even those cute little pups that lacks any or have outdated vaccination.
Vacation might give us time to relax but it doesn’t mean we should also let our guard down especially when we, or our children, encounter the dogs in our neighborhood or even at the malls.
As the Pinoy Dog Whisperer Lestre Zapanta said, we should always be cautious when approaching dogs for the first time, especially since we may unknowingly present ourselves as a threat, making them uneasy.
At the recent BiLiS Rabies campaign of the DOH, there was one particular dog story from advocate Rex Tomen, that’s worth sharing– not to make you afraid of dogs, but to be always ready and knowledgeable in case you or someone you know gets bitten.
“In his last few hours in that cold dreary blue-colored isolation room at San Lazaro Hospital, a five year old boy was writhing and screaming in pain, his mouth parched dry but he is afraid of water. His pupils become and his body convoluted. His head bathed in sweat, he suddenly turns ferocious, drooling with foam-like saliva, and behaving like a mad dog.
But instead of being able to console and spend their last moments with their child, his parents were even asked to leave him in the isolation room– for their own protection.
The child’s name was Gian Carlo “PoyPoy” Tomen. He died of rabies in 2008, just a day before Christmas.
A few months earlier, Poypoy was playing with a friend when the neighbor’s cocker spaniel scratched the back of his left shoulder. The attack left three long scratches on Poypoy’s back – scratches that were immediately treated with first aid by the dog’s owner who was an emergency room nurse. The wounds healed completely in a few days, and all that was left of these were white marks where the skin had broken.
Everyone thought Poypoy was going to be okay, and that was their mistake.
Shortly after Poypoy’s death, his father Rex discovered a couple of things that could have saved his son’s life– first, the cocker spaniel had her last vaccination three years ago and that bites aren’t the only way to get rabies. Even the smallest wound or break on the skin- whether it be a bite or a scratch or even a lick on an open wound caused by a canine attack merits immediate professional attention.
In honor of Poypoy and the thousands who die (most of them children) of rabies, Rex became an advocate and put up the RabiesPoi.Org website to educate people about the dangers posed by man’s best friend.
Tomen relates, “We washed the wound and cleaned it with alcohol. The dog’s owner told us it was vaccinated for rabies so we didn’t bring our son to the doctor anymore. That was our mistake. Rabies can be fatal—everybody needs to know that,” he added.
Rabies can be fatal.
The Department of Health’s BiLiS Rabis, is a disease awareness campaign aligned to the Rabies Free Philippines Advocacy. The advocacy was also supported by GSK.
“Rabies is considered a neglected disease that is 100 percent fatal but also 100 percent preventable. Effective and safe medicines have been available for decades to prevent the disease in humans and animals,” DOH Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial told media.
“Rabies is a virus that attacks the central nervous system that can lead to a serious illness and can lead to death if not addressed immediately. Rabies is most commonly transmitted through bites of rabid animals but it can also be transmitted through licks of rabid animals on existing scratches and wounds of individuals.”
BiLiS stands for the following:
• Bi – Bilisan ang paghugas ng sugat (wash the infected area)
• Li – Linisin ng alcohol (clean with alcohol)
• S – Sumangguni sa doktor ukol sa tamang pag-gamot ng sugat (consult a doctor)
Ubial said the advocacy not only promotes responsible pet ownership, but more importantly to stress the importance of early consultation when bitten by animals and timely administration of vaccines.
A total of 783,879 animal bites across the country were registered in last year. This was 10 percent higher than in 2014 when the total number of animal bites was 683,802 cases. Although there is an increment, it means more bites were reported instead of ignored. This is attributed to the improved surveillance and services which enabled bite cases to seek treatment at established public Animal Bite Treatment Centers (ABTC) and/or private Animal Bite Centers. As of March 2016, there are a total of 486 ABTCs located all over the country, 32 of which are in Metro Manila.”
Here are some tips on how to deal with dogs and avoid being bitten:
1. Never pet strange dogs and don’t extend your hand because the dog will see this as a threat might bite you.
2. If you want to interact with a dog, squat sideways and wait for the dog to approach you.
3. Don’t disturb a dog while they are sleeping, eating, chewing on a toy or caring for puppies. Remember that a dog is scared, too so don’t do anything that will make it feel you are a threat.
4. Be cautious around strange dogs and assume that a dog who doesn’t know you may see you as an intruder or a threat.
5. If you are approached by a dog who may attack you, DO NOT RUN. Resist the impulse to scream and run away. Instead stand still, keep your hands at your sides, and avoid eye contact with the dog. Once the dog loses interest in you, slowly back away until they are out of sight.
6. If you are a dog owner, have your dog vaccinated for rabies EVERY year. This could save lives, maybe even yours.
Pay attention to the dog’s body language. If you see the following signals: tensed body, stiff tail, pulled back head and/or ears, furrowed brow, eyes rolled so the whites are visible, yawning, flicking tongue, intense stare, it’s a good idea to have a safe amount of space between yourself and the dog.
As part of the rabies elimination campaign, a total of 41 provinces/areas were declared ‘rabies-free’ by DOH and DA, Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI) from 2008-2016.
The DOH, through the National Rabies Prevention and Control Program (NRPCP) in partnership with different agencies and local government units continue to implement strategies and activities to respond to this public health problem. One strategy is the provision of Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) in all DOH-recognized ABTCs/ABCs, and Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) especially for high risk individuals and students in high incidence zones. Meanwhile, PhilHealth through its Animal Bite Treatment Package defrays the cost of PEP treatment among all qualified members.
The DOH has lined up various advocacy campaigns to disseminate information about the illness and how to prevent it. The DOH also encourages pet owners to have household pets vaccinated at designated time periods. Lastly, the public is warned against approaching stray and possibly rabid animals and is reminded to immediately go to the nearest ABTCs/ABCs when needed.
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“Be responsible, If you are a pet owner, make sure it has been vaccinated against rabies, and if you or someone you know is bit, scratched or licked by an animal make follow the BiLiS instructions, and immediately head to the nearest animal bite treatment center to have it checked and to have yourself vaccinated for rabies.” Secretary Ubial concluded.
