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KUCHING (November 21): A 16-year-old girl who died on November 11 was confirmed as the sixth person to die of rabies in Sarawak this year, Health Director General Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah said today.
He said the girl died at 3.45 pm on November 11 at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) and was confirmed to be infected with the rabies virus through laboratory tests conducted by the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) daily next.
The girl was admitted to SGH on November 10 after having a fever for three days, weakness in her lower limbs, and showing aggressive behavior.
“Investigations have found no history of dog or other animal bites in this case. He only had a scratch on his right leg, but his relatives could not give details about it. He had four 4 cats and a dog. All pets have never been vaccinated, but so far the pets are in good health and there has been no change in their behavior, ”Dr. Noor Hisham said in a statement.
After this latest death, he said the latest case brought the total rabies deaths in the state this year to five and the total cumulative number of fatal rabies cases in Sarawak to 27 since the rabies outbreak was declared on 1 July 2017.
The latest case occurred a month after the fifth death of a 42-year-old man who died at the SGH on October 20.
Dr. Noor Hisham said that the Sarawak Ministry of Health and Health Department (JKN Sarawak) will continue to monitor the rabies situation in Sarawak.
He added that they will share the latest related information with the Sarawak Department of Veterinary Services (DVS Sarawak) and DVS Malaysia to ensure that rabies prevention and control measures are quickly and fully implemented.
“The cooperation of all the people of Sarawak is very much needed, fully complying with all the councils of the government and authorities to ensure that the rabies problem in the state can be controlled. Do not allow pets to roam or dispose of them in public areas, ”he said.
He also advised the public to seek immediate treatment at a nearby health clinic or hospital if bitten by an animal.
Those who are bitten by a dog or other animal should wash the bitten body parts with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes to remove saliva, he said again.
“Make sure your domestic dogs have received the rabies vaccine each year at the nearest animal clinic and avoid letting your pets mix it with other dogs or wild animals;
“If a dog or cat is found to have a change in behavior, including aggressiveness, seek immediate treatment at a veterinary clinic and report it to the nearest Department of Veterinary Services. Inform the Local Authority if there are stray dogs roaming in your area of residence ”, he added.
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