Rabies: Strict checks at border after death of siblings
KOTA KINABALU: The Department of Veterinary Services and Animal Industry (DOVSAI) is not taking any chances of a rabies outbreak in the state and has tightened its enforcement at the Sabah-Sarawak border after the death of two siblings in Sarawak.
Its director, Dr Yeo Boon Kiat, said the department had increased the number of personnel based at several entry points to Sabah so that more thorough checks can be done on vehicles entering the state.
“All vehicles coming in through Sindumin and Menumbuk will be checked thoroughly to ensure that the occupants are not bringing in live animals from Sarawak,” he said when asked to comment on the ban of live animals from Sarawak following a rabies outbreak in Serian.
Yeo said that so far there had yet to be anyone found flouting the ban which was announced by Deputy Chief Minister cum Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Yahya Hussin last week.
Yahya said that the state government had cancelled all licences issued by DOVSAI for the import of dogs, cats and other live animals from Sarawak or any infected areas.
The minister had also said that so far there were no cases of rabies reported in Sabah.
“I believe that all entry points have been notified to tighten veterinary inspection. I urge the Health Department to continue their collaboration with DOVSAI to report all cases of humans bitten by dog.
“I also urge the public to report any suspicious dog behaviour to the nearest DOVSAI office, particularly at border towns,” Yahya said.
Meanwhile in KUCHING, the two young siblings infected by rabies following an outbreak at Kampung Paon, Sungai Rimu, Serian, passed away within minutes of each other yesterday.
The four-year-old boy and his sixyear-old sister, died at 1.43pm and 1.46pm respectively, at the Sarawak General Hospital.
This was confirmed by Sarawak Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, who said the siblings were among three confirmed cases reported in the state last week.
“They were diagnosed to be brain dead. The parents agreed for the life support system to be withdrawn,” he said in a statement.
Another rabies victim, a sevenyear-old girl, is still ventilated and categorised as critically ill at the hospital’s intensive care unit.
The Labuan Health Department is also on the alert against rabies on the duty-free island.
Its director, Dr Ismuni Bohari, said the Health Ministry had instructed it to provide the latest information besides advising the people, including all school principals and headmasters, on the preventive and control measures.
He said school authorities must supervise the school surroundings as some parts of school compounds were exposed to stray dogs.
“This is the responsibility of all parties and the school authorities should make appropriate reports to the local authority of Labuan Corporation and Veterinary Department should there be any risk to their students,” he said yesterday.
Dr Ismuni also reminded members of the public to report to the local authority the presence of stray dogs in their residential areas.