Rabies 99.9% fatal, but highly preventable —PCP

Almost all people infected with rabies could die if not vaccinated immediately or the animal that bit them does not have a vaccine as well, Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) president Dr. Rontgene Solante said Tuesday.

At a health forum, Solante, who is also an infectious diseases expert, said that 200 to 300 Filipinos contract and die of rabies every year due to the inflammation of the brain caused by a bite or scratch of animals that have the rabies virus.

“Unfortunately, there’s still no cure for rabies and it’s said to be 99.9% fatal,” he said.

“The good news is that rabies is preventable. The vaccine and even immunoglobulins are very effective in the event of a dog, cat, or any animal bite exposure,” he added.

A total of 247 rabies cases—all of them dead—-were recorded in the country from January 1 to August 26, 2023, based on latest data by the Department of Health’s Epidemiology Bureau.

This number was 8% lower than the 269 rabies cases logged during the same period last year.

PCP diplomate fellow Dr. Arthur Dessi Roman, meanwhile, explained that rabies is considered one of the oldest and most feared diseases known to mankind as it “hijacks” the brain and causes a progressive encephalitis.

He said dogs are the main cause of rabies in the Philippines, accounting for 98.5% of the cases. They are followed by cats (1.3%), and other domestic animals (0.2%).

Children below the age of 15 are also the common victims of rabies.

“Dapat simulan agad ang bakuna sa rabies sapagkat ang bakuna o rabies post-exposure prophylaxis ay effective lamang during the incubation period. Ito ‘yung time na ang virus ay nagta-travel mula sa kagat hanggang makarating siya sa spinal cord,” Roman said.

(The vaccination should be done immediately because the vaccine or the rabies post-exposure prophylaxis is only effective during the incubation period. This is the time when the virus travels from the bitten area until it reaches the spinal cord.)

“Pero ‘pag ang virus ay nakarating na sa spinal cord at nakarating na sa brain, at ang pasyente ay nag-develop na ng mga sintomas ng rabies, basically wala na tayong magagawa para sa pasyente,” he added.

(But once the virus has reached the spinal cord and the brain, and the patient has developed symptoms of rabies, basically there is nothing we can do for the patient.)

According to Roman, wounds should be immediately washed with soap and water preferably for 10-15 minutes as it may decrease the risk of rabies infection by as much as 40%.

The patient also needs to immediately go to a doctor or animal bite clinic for post-exposure prophylaxis.

“Itong mga gawain na ito ay hindi nakakatulong para iwasan ang rabies—’yung paglalagay ng bawang, ‘yung paglalagay ng bato, ‘yung sisipsipin ang sugat sa pamamagitan ng bibig o ng tandok. ‘Wag nating gamitin ‘yan sapagkat hindi ‘yan lunas para sa rabies,” he said.

(These activities do not help to avoid rabies—putting garlic or stone over the wound, and sucking the wound using the mouth. Let's not use those because those are not a cure for rabies.)

Roman further stressed that the biting animal should also be observed for 14 days, and should not be killed if it is not aggressive or exhibiting symptoms of rabies.—AOL, GMA Integrated News