ILOILO CITY, Iloilo, Philippines - Risk of contracting rabies due to dog bites has been significantly reduced in the city of Iloilo. This is according to the Department of Health (DoH) in Region 6 which has revealed that Iloilo City has topped the percentage of dog vaccination in Western Visayas since last year at an average of 80 percent.

Dr. Joji Jimenez, DoH-6 rabies medical coordinator, disclosed that approximately 83 percent out of almost 23,000 dogs in the city were vaccinated last year. Between January to June 2011, vaccination rate was at almost 87 percent for a population of 26,968 dogs.

Jimenez said the Iloilo City Health Office’s active campaign substantially reduced the risk of city residents from getting infected by the viral disease caused by being bitten by infected animals, particularly stray dogs.

Jimenez also added that Iloilo City did not post any case of human rabies since 2009 until the present time.

Tailing Iloilo City in terms of dog vaccination is Negros Occidental province at 43 percent and its capital, Bacolod City at 42 percent Also in the top five are Iloilo province at 30 percent and Aklan at 29 percent.

Iloilo City veterinarian Dr. Tomas Forteza said that an average of 40 stray dogs per week is being impounded and killed. This method has been seen to have drastically reduced the risk of humans getting bitten by stray dogs and eventually getting infected with rabies.

The DoH-6 recorded that six people have been killed by rabies since January to August of this year in the entire Western Visayas. Iloilo province has three fatalities, Capiz has two, and Aklan registered one fatality.

Meanwhile, DoH-6 has also intensified its anti-rabies awareness campaign with the celebration of World Rabies Day Wednesday. The agency is urging pet owners to abide with Republic Act 9482 or the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007.