KUCHING: Two more suspected rabies cases have been detected in Sarawak.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the cases involved two persons who were warded at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) in Kuching, including one who had passed away on Friday (Dec 7).
“We are still waiting for lab test results to confirm (if it is rabies). Clinical specimens have been sent to the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) and are still being processed,” he said in a statement yesterday.
On the fatal case, he said it involved a 74-year-old man from Kuching who was sent to SGH on Nov 25 when his condition worsened after he had sought treatment for pain on his left side of the body a day earlier.
On Nov 28, the patient was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and died on Dec 7 at 3.15am, with clinical rabies cited as cause of death.
Investigations found the patient had no animal bite history, though he owned a dog and a cat which had been given anti-rabies vaccination this year.
Both animals were also found to be normal and did not show any symptoms of rabies.
On the other hand, the second case involved a 64-year-old man, also from Kuching. In the middle of September, he was bitten in his calf by a puppy, which also bit his wife at her thumb.
The puppy was picked up and kept by the couple as a pet a week before the incident.
It was then released by the couple in Matang area after the incident and the latest status of the puppy was not known.
The patient only washed the wound after the incident and did not seek treatment.
However, the patient felt pain on the knee and weak limbs on Nov 27 before proceeding to a private clinic to be treated.
At the private clinic, he did not inform the medical practitioner of his dog bite history. On Dec 2, he sought treatment at SGH after his condition worsened, and was transferred to the infectious diseases ward for further observation.
As for his wife, she has not shown any rabies symptoms but has been given vaccination.
“Since June 30, 2017 until today, the confirmed rabies cases among humans are 14, of which 13 have died while one more case is under home treatment with neurology complications. Up to Dec 7 this year, the Sarawak government has gazetted 56 areas in 11 divisions as rabies infected (after animals were found with rabies). Only Limbang is still free of any rabies cases involving animals,” he said.
On a related matter, Dr Noor Hisham said the Health Ministry and the Sarawak Health Department remain committed in controlling the spread of this disease.
“We will continue to work together with the Sarawak state government, Veterinary Services Department and other relevant agencies as well as neighbouring countries to ensure preventive measures and control of rabies infection are being implemented effectively.
“The cooperation from the public is very much needed to ensure the success of actions and measures being taken so that the rabies outbreak can be put under control,” he added.