KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 – A 26-year-old man from Kuching has died from rabies, bringing the total number of rabies cases in Sarawak to 18 since July 2017.
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said out of the 18 rabies cases, 17 victims died, with the remaining survivor, a nine-year-old child, getting treatment at home after developing severe neurological complications.
The latest victim, who died on May 31, had contracted rabies after he was scratched by his pet dogs that he obtained from unknown sources.
“Therefore, MOH wants to remind the public, especially in Sarawak, not to take or collect dogs or other animals whose rabies vaccination status is unknown, even if they are from the neighbourhood because there is a possibility the animal might have been infected with the rabies virus and it is in the incubation period before it displays symptoms,” Dr Noor Hisham said in a statement.
“Sarawak is still not free from rabies.”
He noted that the Sarawak state government has declared 62 areas in 11 districts as rabies-infected areas from July 1, 2017, to May 30, 2019. Only Limbang is still free from rabies.
