Perlis rabies case isolated one: Veterinary Services DG

PUTRAJAYA: The rabies case reported in Perlis is an isolated one and the people need not worry, the Director-General of Veterinary Services, Datuk Dr Quaza Nizamuddin Hassan Nizam said today.
He said an officer of the Civil Defence Force was bitten by a dog while catching stray dogs in Kampung Batu 2, Jalan Kaki Bukit, in Kangar on June 7.
"The dog was found dead in its cage a day after it was caught. A lab test on a sample from the dog turned out to be rabies-positive.
"The officer who was bitten was referred to the hospital and was administered treatment," he said in a statement.
Quaza Nizamuddin advised the people to avoid getting bitten by stray dogs. If bitten, they should wash the wound with soap and water and go straight to the nearest health clinic or hospital for treatment, he added.
He did not rule out the possibility that the dog-bite incident could have happened due to the incidence of rabies in Hatyai, Songkhla, in southern Thailand bordering Perlis and Kedah early this year.
He said that since early this year, the Department of Veterinary Services launched a rabies-control exercise whereby 1,666 dogs were vaccinated, 56 dogs were caught and put to sleep, and a public-awareness campaign was conducted involving 5,860 people and the surveillance of 796 premises. — Bernama