Cotabato girl dies from rabies; contact tracing on for villagers
Health officials in Cotabato, Philippines, are conducting contact tracing after a six-year-old girl died from rabies. While the cause of death was confirmed, the source of infection remains unclear, prompting local schools to educate students on rabies prevention.
Why it matters
It highlights public health risks and the importance of rabies awareness and vaccination protocols in rural communities.
KIDAPAWAN CITY - Rural Health Unit (RHU) workers in Makilala, Cotabato province have begun tracing villagers who attended the burial of a six-year-old girl who died from rabies so they can be vaccinated, a village official said.
Melvin Fortajada, a kagawad (councilor) of Barangay Malasila, said that RHU workers are prepared to conduct mass anti-rabies vaccination on those who attended the funeral.
Fortajada said the Grade One learner of Malasila Elementary School died on Friday in the hospital, with the physician finding the cause of death to be rabies.
READ: Villar pushes stronger anti-rabies policies on Rabies Awareness Month
The girl was immediately buried, but some relatives and neighbors joined the burial, which have been the subjects of contact tracing.
The parents of the girl were immediately isolated after the burial and under the close monitoring of RHU workers. They had been given anti-rabies vaccines.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in