Dr Jamilah Hashim
KUCHING: Health authorities are still determining whether the death of a five-year-old child at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) on Saturday was due to rabies.
Sarawak Health Department director Dr Jamilah Hashim said the diagnosis will only be known after test results are received from the Institute for Medical Research in Kuala Lumpur.
“So far there is history of animal bite being identified for the victim,” she said in a statement yesterday, which was issued in response to a news report in a Chinese daily which claimed the child was the latest rabies casualty in Sarawak.
Dr Jamilah said she was informed the child fell ill on Oct 13 and subsequently admitted to SGH on Oct 21 after showing symptoms such as fever, fatigue, loss of appetite to eat and drink, and having hallucinations.
“While being treated, the victim’s condition got worse. And the child passed away on Nov 2,” she added.
She reminded Sarawakians to immediately wash wounds caused by animal bites with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes before proceeding to seek treatment at the nearest government hospital or clinic.
“Always avoid getting bitten by dogs or wild animals because many areas in Sarawak are still rabies-infected.”
To date, there have been 20 confirmed human fatality cases from rabies since an outbreak was declared in Sarawak in July 2017.
The latest case involved a 64-year-old man from Mukah on Aug 19.
A nine-year-old child remains the sole survivor of the rabies infection, but was left with severe neurological damage and is currently on life support.