KUCHING: Sarawak recorded its first rabies positive human case on 30 June, 2017 and the outbreak was declared by Health Ministry on July 1, 2017.
The first rabies outbreak in animal was recorded on July 4, 2017.
Rabies is a disease transmitted from animals to humans, which is caused by a virus. There are two clinical manifestations of rabies – frantic and paralytic. Frantic rabies is most common form of human rabies.
“There were 73 dog bites, 23 humans vaccinated and 59 new locations of rabies outbreaks throughout the state.”
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas recently stated that towards becoming rabies free, at least 70 percent of the dog population in the state must be vaccinated.
Currently about half of the 200,000 dogs in Sarawak have been immunised with the anti-rabies vaccine to curb the spread of the epidemic in the state, Uggah said.
Hitherto rabies has claimed 15 human lives from all ages with the first fatal case in June, 2017.
Only one case is recorded to have survived rabies, namely an eight-year-old boy who is said to be still comatose at home.
The Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (Rabies Outbreak) was formed and held its first meeting on July 4, 2017 after positive cases were confirmed in humans and dogs.
Chairing the committee, Uggah has set up and activated an operation room in Wisma Bapa Malaysia run by the State Disaster Management Committee together with the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) Sarawak (Rapid Action Team, Surveillance, Vaccination and Animal Rabies Laboratory Testing). Also in the team is the Sarawak State Health Department Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) and Dog-bite clinics.
According to statistics, as of last Dec 28, recorded by the Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (Rabies Outbreak) there were 73 dog bites, 23 humans vaccinated and 59 new locations of rabies outbreaks throughout the state.
The vaccination of anti-rabies, which is a free vaccination programme by the DVS, stated that a total of 100,245 dogs, 8541 cats and 56 other animals had been vaccinated with anti-rabies vaccine so far.
The figures exclude those vaccinated by private veterinarians.
Throughout the state, anti-rabies vaccinations of dogs have been ongoing almost every day and there are mass vaccinations on weekends in areas with high dog population.
Through sample tests by DVS, there are 327 positive samples of rabies detected in 3016 dogs and 21 cats currently.
