Koronadal residents warned vs. rabies

KORONADAL CITY – The local government urged residents to vaccinate their pet dogs and cats and stay away from animals infected with rabies after a five-year old boy died from the virus.

Government veterinarian Dr. Charlemagne Calo said the whole of Koronadal is now under “Code Red” because of the boy’s death. She said the have intensified efforts to contain the disease and prevent new infections. Calo said the lone fatality was from Zone 3. No other details were available on the boy’s death.

He said the have conducted a series of vaccination against rabies for dogs and cats to stop the possible spread of the disease to adjacent communities. “There were already some confirmed cases of rabies in some of our neighboring municipalities so we’re also monitoring that.

Aside from the door-to-door vaccination, we also vaccinate pet dogs and cats in our office at the city demonstration farm,” Calo said.

He said Koronadal has over 13,500 pet dogs based on latest census and urged owners to make sure that their pets are vaccinated against rabies as well as monitor and take care of them properly. “Under the Rabies Act, the owners of unvaccinated pets that will bite humans will be responsible and cover all the costs for the treatment of the victims,” he said. (Anna liza Cabrido)