Three areas declared as new rabies infected areas

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World Health Organisation Graphic on rabies. (File Photo)

KUCHING: Three areas – Siburan town, Kampung Temong Mura in Tebedu and Rumah Janta Punggu Mawang in Sri Aman – were declared new rabies-infected areas yesterday.

According to a statement from the State Disaster Management Committee, an integrated operation organised by Minister of Local Government and Housing and State Veterinary Services Department is being carried out at Kota Sentosa, Kota Padawan and Siburan, after Siburan was declared a rabies infected area.

The statement also said no new cases were reported.

It further said areas within 10km from Kampung Ampungan, Kampung Mentong Berawan, Kampung Mentong Silaga, Kampung Engkabang, Kampung Tampek Sumpas, Kampung Rasau, Bandar Serian and 45th Mile Kuching-Sri Aman road were still rabies positive areas.

To date, a vaccination exercise has been carried out on 9,185 animals, – 2,656 dogs, 6,491 cats and 38 other types of animals by the state Veterinary Services Department.

The committee advised people not to allow their pets to roam freely though they have been vaccinated with anti-rabies vaccines.

A total of  146 new dog bites were detected between July 2 and yesterday, including 49 cases happening yesterday, bringing the cumulative figure to 415 cases since April 1, and 298 people have turned up for vaccination.

The State Disaster Management Committee held a meeting yesterday, which was attended by deputy director-general of Ministry of Health Zoonosist Section Dr Vickneshwaran Muttu, Dr Andrea Britton from Sarawak Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) and non-executive directors of Vets Beyond Borders from Australia.

The meeting was chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is the chairman of State Disaster Management Committee.

The meeting, among others, discussed and shared experiences on ways to manage rabies outbreaks in Indonesia, Thailand and India.

So far, the rabies outbreak in Serian has claimed four lives – siblings Monica and Jackson Mazlan, aged six and four, respectively; Alicesa Lorenna Nody, seven; and Florancesia Edward, five.