Two more dog bite victims die

Ministry confirms 14th, 15th human rabies deaths, declares only Limbang Division not infected

KUCHING: Sarawak has recorded its 14th and 15th human rabies deaths after the passing of two men warded recently at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) was confirmed to be due to the disease.

The Health Ministry in a statement yesterday revealed that lab tests on samples from the two victims have been found to be rabies-positive.

“The results bring the number of human rabies deaths in Sarawak to 15, out of 16 cases reported since the epidemic was declared on June 30, 2017.

“The sole survivor of human rabies infection is a seven-year-old child who is now suffering from severe neurological complications and is being treated at home,” it said.

According to the statement, the 14th death involved a 74-year- old man who passed away on Dec 7, while the 15th death was recorded at 6.43am yesterday of a 64-year-old man. Based on an earlier statement by the ministry, it is learnt that the 64-year- old man was bitten on his calf by a puppy, which also bit his wife on her thumb, in middle of September.

The puppy was picked up and kept by the couple as a pet a week before the incident. It was then released by the couple in the Matang area after the incident, with the latest status of the puppy unknown.

The patient only washed the wound after the incident and did not seek treatment. However, he felt pain on his knee and complained of weak limbs on Nov 27 before proceeding to a private clinic to be treated.

He did not inform the medical practitioner there of his dog bite history.

On Dec 2, he sought treatment at SGH af ter his condit ion worsened, and was transferred to the infectious disease ward for further observation.

As for his wife, she has not shown any rabies symptoms but has been given vaccination.

As for the 74-year- old man, the statement said he was sent to SGH on Nov 25 when his condition worsened after he had sought treatment for pain on his left side of the body a day earlier.

On Nov 28, he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit ( ICU) and died on Dec 7 at 3.15am.

Investigations found that the patient had no animal bite history, though he owned a dog and a cat which had been given anti-rabies vaccination this year.

Both animals did not show any symptoms of rabies.

The Sarawak government has gazetted 56 areas in 11 divisions as rabies- infected, with only Limbang still free of any rabies cases involving animals.

The results bring the number of human rabies deaths in Sarawak to 15, out of 16 cases reported since the epidemic was declared on June 30, 2017. Health Ministry statement