KUCHING: The Health Ministry (MoH) has recorded one new case of rabies involving the death of a 62-year-old man in Sibu.
In a statement issued yesterday, it said the victim was pronounced dead at 7pm on June 23 in Sibu Hospital.
The victim was bitten by his relative’s dog while visiting his house in Jalan Sentosa Barat, Sibu on May 12 this year.
He then washed the wound with water and soap and later sought treatment at the health facility. However, he did not return to the facility for an injection of anti-rabies vaccine.
“On June 16, the victim started experiencing pain in his leg and constipation. Three days later, he was referred to Sibu Hospital for further treatment and was admitted to the ward on the same day.
“The patient died on June 23, 2020 with the cause of death being rabies.
“He was diagnosed with rabies through a laboratory test conducted by the Institute of Medical Research (IMR) on June 25,” the statement mentioned.
With this, Sarawak has two cases of rabies recorded this year. The cumulative number of rabies cases in Sarawak since the outbreak of the disease on July 1, 2017, is 24 cases with 23 deaths.
