KUCHING: Rabies has so far killed eight people in Sarawak this year.
As such, State Food Industry, Commodities and Regional Development Minister Datuk Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom advised those bitten by a dog to immediately seek treatment.
He said rabies is a disease contracted by humans through the bite and saliva of a dog infected with rabies.
“When bitten by a dog, whether it has rabies or not, you (the public) need to seek treatment. Don’t wait until a stage when you need a doctor.
“By the time, you get the symptoms (infected by rabies), it will probably be too late for treatment,” he told a press conference after opening the Rabies Conference in Borneo 2022, here, today.
He also advised those having pet dogs to send the animal for anti-rabies vaccination and to register their pets with the authorities.
Meanwhile, the Director of the Sarawak Veterinary Services Department director Dr Adrian Susin Ambud said the department hoped to give anti-rabies injections to up to 70 percent of the dog population in the state to achieve herd immunity.
He said the department had so far given anti-rabies vaccination to about 300,000 dogs in the state.-Bernama
