Rabies spreads to 6th village
Declaration follows confirmation of 4th case of child contracting disease
SARAWAK yesterday declared a sixth village in Serian as rabies infected. This follows confirmation of a fourth case in the district. So far, the disease has claimed the lives of two siblings, while two other victims are in serious condition.
ASIXTH village was declared a rabies-infected area as efforts continued to contain the outbreak in Serian, which has claimed two lives.
The declaration followed confirmation of the fourth case of a child contracting the disease in Kampung Saroban in the district about 80km from here.
Health officials are racing to reach out to people in 96 residential areas in the district where, so far, nearly 22,000 people have been interviewed for details of possible causes for the spread of the disease, such as dog bites or scratches.
From the checks, 225 dog bite cases have been detected by the state Health Department, of which 188 of them have been vaccinated.
According to the state Management Disaster Committee in a statement yesterday, the state Veterinary Services Department had vaccinated 346 dogs, 1,168 cats and 16 other pets.
“The authorities are creating a buffer zone within a 10km radius from areas declared as affected by rabies to contain the spread of the virus,” it said.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas signed the declaration under the Veterinary Public Health Ordinance 1999.
Uggah is also Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development minister and state Disaster Management Committee chairman.
The five other affected villages are Kampung Kerait, Kampung Paon Rimu, Kampung Paun Rimu Bakung, Kampung Remun and Kampung Lebor.
All six villages are located within a 10km radius in the district.
The latest victim was a 5-yearold girl from Kampung Ampungan. She was bitten by a dog in Kampung Saroban on May 27.
She developed symptoms related to rabies, such as high fever, pain on the l eft arm and fatigue, last week and was sent to Serian Hospital on July 3 before being transferred to Sarawak General Hospital here the next day.
Another victim infected with the disease remained in critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit of the same hospital.
Two children have died from rabies since the outbreak was detected in Serian last month.