Two persons have died from suspected rabies in Negros Occidental, Dr. Girlie Pinongan, Provincial Health Officer, said on Tuesday, March 18.
The latest fatality is a 72-year-old Hinoba-an town resident who died on Saturday, March 15, she said.
The 72-year-old man was bitten by a dog three years ago and has a history of eating dog meat, Pinongan said.
A 4-year-old boy from Don Salvador Benedicto who was bitten by a dog also died on February 17, she said.
They are still investigating the cases, Pinongan said.
Dog bites and scratches cause 99 percent of the human rabies cases and can be prevented through dog vaccination and bite prevention, the World Health Organization said.
The Department of Health (DOH) reported 426 rabies-related deaths nationwide last year.
It said 193 or 45 percent were caused by being bitten by their pets, usually dogs or cats.
The DOH also reported that 41 percent of the cases were due to unvaccinated pets, while 56 percent involved animals with uncertain vaccination status.*