KUCHING: Sri Aman becomes the latest division in Sarawak to be declared a rabies-infected area after Kuching, Samarahan, Serian and Bintulu, as the disease claimed 71 lives from 78 infected cases reported in the state so far.
Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the declaration, made by the State Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development, Datuk Seri Stephen Rundi Utom last Monday was due to new positive animal rabies detected in Sri Aman recently.
“A total of 29 areas remain as Rabies Infected Areas even though there is no (new) positive animal rabies cases detected so far this year. This declaration is necessary to ensure that more effort to eradicate rabies in the affected division,” he said in a statement today.
Uggah, who is also Sarawak Deputy Premier, said a two-day workshop on Action Plan for Rabies Control and Eradication 2024-2025 had been held here since yesterday involving 140 participants from 13 relevant agencies.
He said the workshop had proposed that 14 Veterinary Mobile Teams (VMT) and 12 enforcement teams be established to achieve and maintain a 70 per cent herd immunity, while 133 new posts in the Sarawak Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) be created to intensify anti-rabies vaccination programmes.
He added DVS, the Police Department and the Immune Belt Enforcement Team (IBET) together with all the local councils in Sarawak will form an enforcement team to carry out enforcement on unvaccinated dogs, removing stray dogs and dog licensing to reduce stray population and increase vaccination coverage. -Bernama
