Five-year-old girl latest rabies victim in Sibu

KUCHING: The Health Ministry yesterday confirmed that the death of a five-year-old girl in Sibu on March 26 was due to rabies.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said this was the first rabies cases to be reported in Sarawak this year, and the 23rd case in the state since July 31, 2017.

“On March 8, the victim was attacked and bitten by a stray dog on her face, mouth and eyelids. However, the bite wounds were not washed with clean water and soap immediately after the incident,” he said in a statement.

Dr Noor Hisham said the girl was taken to Sibu Hospital the same day where she received a shot of anti-tetanus vaccine and Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG) as well as two shots of anti-rabies vaccine.

“On March 13, she was discharged in good health and received her third dose of antirabies vaccine on March 16.

“However on March 24, the victim was taken to a community clinic in Sibu for fever and then to Sibu Hospital the next day due to sore throat, swallowing difficulties and experiencing hallucinations.

“She was admitted for further treatment but her condition took a turn for the worse and she passed away the following day due to rabies encephalitis,” he said.

Dr Noor Hisham said a sample taken from the girl was tested positive for rabies by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Medical Lab on March 29.

“The stray dog that bit her was reported to have died on March 10 but no sample was taken,” he added.

Prior to this case, Sarawak's last reported rabies case was on Nov 8, 2019.

Meanwhile, Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) is stepping up efforts to catch all dogs roaming on the streets for them to be put to sleep, regardless whether they are licensed or not.

SMC chairman Clarence Ting said this is in response to the death of the five-year-old girl here due to rabies.

“Her death has been confirmed to be due to rabies. Even though the incident happened in the Sentosa area here, SMC will go all out to catch all dogs within a radius of 5km to 10km of ground zero,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Ting called on all dog owners to ensure their pets do not roam the streets as they may bring the deadly disease back home.

He also advised them to always monitor their pets for any sudden changes, and to ensure children are kept away from pets that display unusual behaviour.

On SMC's operation, he said the council caught 25 dogs yesterday morning.

Meanwhile, Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) state director Dr Adrian Susin Ambud reminded dog owners to have their pets vaccinated once a year.

“This is compulsory under Section 40 of the Veterinary Public Health Ordinance 1999,” he said when contacted.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham yesterday confirmed that the girl was Sarawak's latest rabies fatality, saying a sample taken from the victim was tested positive for rabies by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Medical Lab on March 29.