The country has recorded 157 rabies cases for the first six months of the year, with Central Luzon logging the most number of infections, the Department of Health said Wednesday.
In a Viber message to reporters, the DOH noted that the number, recorded from January 1 to June 25, 2022, is five percent lower compared to the 167 cases during the same period last year.
Most of the rabies cases were reported from Central Luzon with 25 or 16 percent; Calabarzon, 21 or 13 percent; Western Visayas, 17 or 11 percent; and Davao Region, 16 or 10 percent.
Citing National Rabies Data as of June 25, the DOH noted that the majority, 119 cases or 76 percent of the cases, were not vaccinated with rabies immunoglobulin or rabies vaccine.
Category 3 is the highest exposure history among reported rabies cases comprising 112 or 71 percent of the tally.
Category 3 is defined as single or multiple transdermal bites or scratches, licks on broken skin, contamination of mucous membrane with saliva, and suspect contacts with bats.
About 131 or 83 percent of the biting animals among rabies cases were dogs.
Seventy-seven or 49 percent out of 157 biting animals of the reported cases were domesticated.
Of the domesticated biting animals, about 53 or 69 percent were unvaccinated for rabies.
