Team formed to contain rabies outbreak

State exco man gives assurance vaccination can stop its spread

KUCHING: A joint committee has been set up to contain the spread of rabies after three children, including two siblings, were infected in Serian.

Sarawak Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said the first task for the joint committee, which involved the state Health department, veterinary department, local council and NGOs, was to contain the area and ensure the community did not panic.

A team was dispatched to sweep the area to prevent further outbreaks, he said.

“The public is advised not to panic,” he told reporters at a Hari Raya open house event here yesterday.

Dr Sim confirmed that the victims, aged four, six and seven, had been bitten by a dog before showing symptoms.

“The rabies outbreak was brought to our attention on Friday evening and the three children are now in the intensive care unit in Sarawak General Hospital (SGH),” he said.

Dr Sim said the spread of rabies could be contained through vacci nation and the Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) would assist to stop the spread.

He said besides dogs, carriers included bats and rats.

If parents know that their children were bitten by a dog, they should seek treatment immediately at the nearest hospital, he said.

“Watch out for strange behaviour such as the sudden fear of water because an infected person will be afraid of water.

“And parents must remind their children to be careful when playing with dogs,” he said.

Health directorgeneral Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said two of the three patients diagnosed with rabies were a fouryearold and his sixyearold sister from Kampung Paon, Sungai Rimu in Serian.

The third patient is a sevenyearold girl from Kampung Lebur, Gedong.

All three were bitten by dogs about a month to three months before the onset of rabies symptoms, he said.

Dr Noor Hisham said initially, the victims were thought to be suffering from viral encephalitis and showed symptoms of fever, abnormal behaviour and aggression, and were afraid of water.

He said urine samples, saliva and skin biopsies of the victims sent to the Institute of Medical Research in Kuala Lumpur tested positive for rabies.

In Kota Kinabalu, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin said all licences issued by the Sabah Veterinary and Livestock Services Department for the import of live animals from Sarawak had been cancelled.

“Veterinary officers have been directed to tighten checks at border crossing areas such as at Sindumin in southwestern Sabah,” he said yesterday.