Rabies claims another life, bringing death toll to six

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Rabies infographics

KUCHING: The rabies outbreak in the state has claimed the life of the seventh victim, bringing the death toll to six.

The seventh victim; a 59-year-old man, from Jalan Batu Kawa – Matang succumbed to rabies encephalitis at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) around 4pm yesterday.

The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (JPBN) in statement issued on Jan 27, said that the victim was confirmed to be infected with the virus following a lab test on Jan 26, as notified by the Sarawak Health Department.

It stated that the man had a dog bite history on November 27 last year and sought treatment at a private clinic the same day but he was not referred to government medical facility to receive vaccination.

On January 20, the man experienced pain and weak limbs, and was admitted to a private hospital on January 24.

He was referred to SGH the next day for further treatment after showing signs of hydrophobia, hallucination and aggression, said in the statement.

As of February 4, the number of rabies cases remained at seven people; six have died and only one survived. The only victim who survived is the sixth victim; a seven-year-old child from Kampung Kuala, Serian.

The victim has been discharged from the hospital on January 31. No new cases have been reported.