Most dogs in Sarawak not vaccinated

PUTRAJAYA: At least 1.3% of the estimated 300,000 dog population in Sarawak have been given anti-rabies vaccination.

Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye said his ministry was working with the Sarawak Veterinary Service Department to implement the free anti-rabies vaccination to the rest of the canines.

“We know that in Sarawak, most of the divisions are at risk and have been declared rabies-infected areas, except Limbang,” he told a media conference after launching the ministry’s innovation “1Stance Wheel” here yesterday.

Since the outbreak of rabies in Sarawak on July 1, 16 people have been infected by the disease.

Fifteen deaths were recorded. The latest case occurred on Dec 10.

On Tuesday, the ministry confirmed that an Indonesian had succumbed to rabies at a private hospital in Kuching. However, she was not infected in Malaysia.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the 69-year-old woman had been bitten by her pet dog in September in Indonesia, and had sought treatment there.

“However, her condition worsened and she was then brought to the private hospital in Kuching and treated in the Intensive Care Unit.

“Unfortunately she died on Dec 17” he said in a statement.

Dr Noor Hisham said that this case had been made known to the Indonesian Health Ministry through the International Health Regulations Focal Point Malaysia-Indonesia.