Sarawak confirms fifth victim of rabies (Updated)

PUTRAJAYA: The Sarawak government today confirmed that a fifth victim in the state has contracted rabies, while the Penang government announced that it was banning the entry of canines from Sarawak and Perak.
Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said it was confirmed on July 18 that a 52-year-old man, from Kampung Remun in Serian, had contracted the disease, Bernama reported.
He said in a website post that the man had been bitten by a dog in early May and that he developed what is believed to be symptoms of the disease on July 11 and was admitted to the Sarawak General Hospital.
The man is the fifth person in Serian to have contracted rabies while four people have died of the disease.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said the ministry is fully prepared to handle rabies cases.
"For high-risk cases, individuals will be given anti-rabies vaccines and rabies immunoglobulin to cure them.
"Those bitten by animals such as dogs should immediately wash the wound and admit themselves at the nearest hospital or clinic for treatment to be effective, as any delay would render the vaccines useless," he said.
In BUKIT MERTAJAM, Penang Health, Agriculture and Agro-based Industries, Rural and Regional Development Committee chairman Dr Afif Bahardin said dogs from Perak and Sarawak are prohibited from entering Penang effective immediately, adding that there would be roadblocks and checks to ensure conformity.
He said the move was a preventive measure although there has been no cases of rabies in Penang since September 2015.
Afif also urged dog owners to vaccinate their pets to curb spread of the disease, adding that the Department of Veterinary Services has 3,870 doses of the rabies vaccine, that was sufficient for vaccination purposes.
In TANJUNG MALIM, Perak X-Rabies Task Force chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon said five samples taken from dogs in Kuala Sepetang have tested negative for rabies while the test results for another three samples taken by the Veterinary Research Institute are expected to be known by tomorrow.
On Monday, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir announced the sub-district of Matang had been gazetted as a rabies infected area after the death of a dog which bit two girls, who later contracted rabies. The condition of the girls, who have since been discharged from hospital, is being monitored.
"We want to ensure dogs in the area are free from the disease. We will wait for the results on three more dogs before de-gazetting the area," Mah said after chairing the first meeting of the task force yesterday.
The samples were taken from 48 dogs which were destroyed on Monday and Tuesday.
Dr Mah, who is also State Health Committee chairman, said a total of 65 dogs and 67 cats had been vaccinated.