KUCHING: The mayor of the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) is appealing to the public for assistance in identifying the owner of a dog responsible for biting 12 victims in the areas surrounding Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) and Jalan Chawan recently.
“To anyone who knows the owner of the dog, please file a police report, step forward, and inform the council about the dog’s owner.
“Also report it to the police and allow them to conduct the investigation. We will also notify the Department of Veterinary Services Sarawak (DVS) accordingly,” Datuk Wee Hong Seng said in a social media post on Tuesday (Feb 6).
He further mentioned that the victims ranged from 28 to 78 years old and advised anyone who has been scratched or bitten to promptly seek treatment at the hospital.
“Yesterday, two people were bitten on Jalan Chawan. Today, four additional individuals were bitten, with the latest incident taking place near the BSN area in the Tabuan Jaya commercial area.
“The dog suspected of having rabies was captured at the Tabuan Jaya commercial area this afternoon and has been sent for rabies testing. Everyone is urged to exercise caution,” he stated.
He went on to advise dog owners on not letting their dogs out to prevent them from getting infected, even though they are already vaccinated.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Health director Dr Ooi Choo Huck in a statement on Jan 26 announced three new cases of deaths due to rabies among humans recorded this year.
He said, out of this total, two occurred in Kuching and one in Bintulu. “All three victims passed away between Jan 9 and 20, with the victims’ ages ranging from 39 to 61 years.
“With the addition of these new cases, the cumulative number of rabies cases among humans in Sarawak reported since the outbreak was declared in July 2017 until now is 78 cases with 71 deaths.”
