Iloilo man dies with rabies-like symptoms, no bite

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Health authorities in Iloilo are investigating the “unusual” death of a 33-year-old man from Dingle who exhibited rabies-like symptoms despite having no recorded animal bite and testing negative for the virus.

Iloilo Provincial Health Office Health Service Delivery Division chief Rodney Labis said the victim began experiencing shoulder and stomach pain on July 12, prompting him to seek medical attention.

His condition worsened, with symptoms including difficulty drinking water, hallucinations, irritability, and breathing problems.

He was brought back to the hospital on July 17 and died the same day.

Labis said that based on the symptoms, the attending hospital suspected rabies infection.

“The patient passed in the case definition of the surveillance system of the Department of Health for a suspected rabies case, which required taking a saliva specimen for confirmatory testing,” he said.

An investigation by local health officials found the patient had no history of bites from cats or dogs.

However, in May, the victim said a stray dog entered his home and attacked their pet dogs.

The stray later died, and the man personally buried it.

The IPHO identified 10 close contacts of the patient, all of whom have been given anti-rabies vaccines.

Confirmatory test results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Manila, released on Aug. 8, showed the patient’s saliva tested negative for rabies.

With the negative results, Labis said the IPHO and the hospital are revisiting the case to determine the true cause of death.

“We can say this is unusual. The attending doctor suspected rabies with no other diagnosis, and at this point, we can only rely on the patient’s history and clinical assessment because the body has already been buried, so no further tests can be conducted,” Labis said.

Pending the investigation, the case remains under the Department of Health’s surveillance system as a suspected rabies case.