Rabies cases in the Philippines

The number of rabies cases in the Philippines is higher than most other countries in the world. Rabies is endemic to the Philippines, and only five other countries have a higher number of rabies cases.

Rabies cases in the Philippines
Disease	Rabies
Virus strain	Rabies virus
Source	dogs, cats, bats
Location	Philippines
First outbreak	Asia (cases mostly)
Index case	Luzon
Arrival date	Every year
Confirmed cases	169 (as of January 2024)
Suspected cases‡	50
Severe cases	30
Deaths	160 (as of January 2024) (including Poul Amber Bantillo John Leo Jamaica Seraspe Genesis Intong)
‡Suspected cases have not been confirmed by laboratory tests as being due to this strain, although some other strains may have been ruled out.

Cases

See the main article: Rabies endemic

Cases of rabies have been increasing since 1998. The number of rabies cases in the Philippines increased between 2013 and 2023. As of 2017, there were around 400 human deaths from rabies each year.

Luzon

In late April 2024, in the municipality of Boac and Gasan, Marinduque province, there have been reported cases of rabies a rabid dog had bitten a cattle at the farm in Boac, The animal authority control culled a infected mammals such as cattles and pigs.

Victims

"The list of victims, caused of death by Rabies encephalitis".

Type of categories

 3  Bite exposure break a skin
 2  Bite exposure a minor or small bite
 1  Lick and intact skin, No rabies vaccine required

Names of victims	Description
Poul Amber Bantillo  3	In June 2021 Poul Amber Bantillo, an 11-year-old boy from Marilao, Bulacan, was bitten by a rabid puppy. He did not inform his parents, and later developed vomiting and a fever. He was brought to the San Lazaro Hospital, but he was dead within 22 hours.
John Leo  2	On October 5, 2022 a 37-year-old man from Davao City, named John Leo was bitten by a rabid puppy. Not realizing that the puppy had rabies, he did not immediately seek medical attention. Over the next four months he developed symptoms of rabies, including muscle pain and shortness of breath. He was admitted to Davao Doctor's Hospital on February 5, 2033, and died within 24 hours.
Jamaica Star Seraspe  3	In February 10, 2024, a rabid dog bit Jamaica Star Seraspe, a 13-year-old grade seven student from Tondo, Manila. Eight other people were bitten too, but unlike Jamaica, they had all been vaccinated within the past two months. She did not tell her parents that she had been bitten, and on April 4, 2024 she developed a headache, insomnia, lower back pain, and a fear of water. The following day, she admitted to her mother, Roselyn Seraspe, that she had been bitten two months earlier. Within 24 hours, she died at San Lazaro Hospital in Manila. She went viral on social media and the news.
Genesis Intong  3	In May 16, 2024, a 18-year-old man from Dinas in Zamboanga del Sur province was bitten by his own dog, who had contracted rabies. He did not inform his parents, and subsequently developed a headache, fatigue, and paralysis. After developing these symptoms, he died within hours.

Mass vaccination

See the main article: Rabies vaccine

There is an ongoing anti-rabies mass vaccination program in the Philippines which provides free rabies vaccines. There are various brands of rabies vaccine, including: Verorab, Rabipur, Vaxirab N and RabAvert. More than 3,000 rabies patients are treated daily at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila.