Two more rabies areas identified in Miri

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MIRI: Two more areas in this division have been declared as rabies-affected, said the State Disaster Management Committee.

In a statement issued yesterday (Oct 12), Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas who is also the committee chairman announced that three more areas have been declared as rabies-infected.

They are Miri Airport and Shin Yang Plywood Sdn Bhd area in Kuala Baram. The other area is the Dalat District Health Office in Mukah division.

This brings the total to 44 rabies-affected areas in the state to date.

The statement disclosed that the Veterinary Services Department has also increased 3, 000 vials of vaccines to Miri. A total of 28 veterinary assistants have also been directed to report for duty next Monday (Oct 15) to help strengthen the capacity of the department.

It was also revealed that the committee has agreed to outsource the vaccines to help curb the spread of the disease.

On a related matter, a dog owner was compounded RM500 for bringing out a dog from rabies-infected areas without movement permit from the state veterinary authority, from Kuching to Limbang.

The committee thus reminded the public not to let their dogs roam freely and be brought out from the rabies-affected areas without written permission from the veterinary department.

The offence is punishable under Section 37(2) & (3) of the Veterinary Public Health Ordinance 1999, with a fine not more than RM5, 000 or jail term of not more than three months or both.