Health authorities warn against ‘tandok’ as treatment for rabies

The Provincial Health Office (PHO) warned the public on the danger of opting for “tandok” treatment for animal bites.

In 2024, two deaths caused by rabies have been recorded by the PHO, said Provincial Rabies Coordinator John Tryann Tria during the Kapihan sa PIA on February 26. He said the patients sought treatment from ‘tandok’, a traditional method of extracting rabies from a wound using animal horns.

“Huwag na po kayong maniwala sa tandok, kasi iyan po talaga ang naging dahilan ng pagkamatay ng dalawa [nating rabies case] sa province last 2024,” Tria said.

(Do not believe in ‘tandok’, as it is the reason for the two rabies deaths in the province last 2024.)

He added that those deaths would have been preventable if they sought proper treatment from an Animal Bite Center (ABC). The municipalities with certified ABCs are Mamburao, Sta. Cruz, Sablayan, Calintaan, San Jose and Magsaysay.

Tria advised that if bitten or scratched by an animal such as a dog or cat, immediately wash the wound with clean running water and soap for 10 to 15 minutes.

Applying povidone iodine to the wound is optional.

“Ang susunod na po nating gawin ay pumunta na po kaagad sa pinakamalapit na Animal Bite Treatment Center para po sa tamang management at maturuan din po kung ano ang mga dapat gawin sa hayop na nakakagat,” he stressed.

(The next thing we need to do is to go to the nearest Animal Bite Treatment Center for proper management and instructions on how to deal with the animal that bit the patient.)

Tria reminded the public that rabies is deadly and should not be taken for granted.

In 2024, the PHO recorded 21,433 animal bite cases in the province, exhibiting a 61-percent increase compared to the 2023 data.

In response, the local government, in partnership with the Surveillance Integrating Phylogenetics and Epidemiology for Elimination of Disease or SPEEDIER, conducted in January this year an Integrated Bite Case Management Introductory training to capacitate the frontliners in the province.

Also, the PHO conducted an advocacy and awareness campaign on rabies in Occidental Mindoro State College to educate teachers and students on how to prevent and combat the virus. (DSG/PIA MIMAROPA-Occidental Mindoro/Photos from PHO)