IPOH, 17 July 2017:
A case of a person bitten by a cat was reported in Kampung Mentari, Kuala Sepetang, Taiping, yesterday.
Perak Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) director Dr Fuziah Muhayat said the victim was a 41-year-old woman who was also the owner of the cat.
She said the woman sought treatment at the Kuala Sepetang Health Centre.
“Clinical checks found no rabies symptoms in the pet. However, the cat will be monitored for 14 days,” she said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, a five-year-old girl – the fourth rabies victim in Sarawak – died at the Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching today.
The DVS yesterday reported that a dog was found to be rabies-infected in Kuala Sepetang on July 15.
The dog had bitten two children in the area on July 4, and they were given outpatient treatment – whereby they were given the first dose of rabies vaccination and allowed to go home.
The Perak Health Department, through the Larut Matang and Selama District Health Office, is taking control and preventive measures, including identifying dog-bite cases in the area, for treatment and monitoring.
No positive cases of rabies have been reported among humans in Perak so far.
In NIBONG TEBAL, a six-year-old boy from Sarawak – admitted to the Melaka Hospital for suspected rabies – is in stable condition, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya.
It would be known in in two or three days from tests whether the Bidayuh boy had contracted rabies, he said today. He said the boy was in stable condition and would be monitored because the rabies incubation period was long.
Melaka director of health Datuk Dr Ghazali Othman had said the boy, whose father is a soldier serving in Melaka, was believed to have been bitten by a rabid dog in Serian, Sarawak.
Health authorities have urged anyone bitten by a dog or cat in Serian, Sarawak, between April 1 and July 17 and Kuala Sepetang, Perak, between July 4 and 17 to undergo a medical examination and, if necessary, treatment for rabies.
Director-general of Health Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said today the medical examination and treatment could be done at the nearest health clinic or hospital.
“People living in these areas are advised to take precautionary measures to check the spread of rabies by vaccinating their pet dogs or cats at the nearest veterinary clinics and avoiding contact with the animals.
“Seek immediate treatment for unhealthy or aggressive pet dogs or cats at veterinary clinics and report the matter to the Veterinary Services Department,” he said in a statement.
Dr Noor Hisham also urged the people to report to the local authorities if they came across stray dogs or cats in their areas and to maintain hygiene by cleaning their hands with soap and water after coming into contact with their pet dogs or cats or strays.
The Perak Health Department, through the Larut Matang and Selama District Health Office, is taking control and preventive measures, including identifying dog-bite cases in the area, for treatment and monitoring.
No positive cases of rabies have been reported among humans in Melaka and Perak so far.
– Bernama