By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, May 8: A puppy bite left untreated for months has claimed the life of a 63-year-old man in Bintulu, raising Sarawak’s human rabies death toll to four cases this year.
The Sarawak Health Department (JKNS) said the victim died on May 3 after laboratory tests confirmed he was infected with rabies.
“The victim had a history of being bitten by a puppy in mid-February but did not seek treatment at any health facility. He only washed the wound with water for less than five minutes before returning home without receiving any vaccination or further treatment,” the department said in a statement yesterday (May 7).
On April 26, the victim developed weakness in his limbs and began refusing to drink water before being admitted to Hospital Bintulu, where laboratory tests later confirmed rabies infection.
“Investigations found that the main risk factor in this case was the delay in seeking treatment after being bitten by the animal. The dog that bit the victim had never received vaccination and the rabies infection status of the animal could not be determined,” it added.
JKNS also revealed that Sarawak recorded 8,171 animal bite cases between Jan 1 and May 2 this year, averaging about 480 cases each week.
Of the total, 5,206 cases involved cat bites or scratches, followed by 2,841 dog bite cases, while another 124 cases involved other animals.
Most of the incidents involved pets, accounting for 68.6 per cent of cases, compared to 31.4 per cent involving stray animals.
Since the rabies outbreak was declared in Sarawak in July 2017, a total of 94 human rabies cases have been recorded, with 87 deaths reported so far, giving the disease a fatality rate of 92.6 per cent.
JKNS urged the public to remain vigilant, reminding that rabies can spread through bites, scratches, or saliva from infected animals such as dogs and cats.
The department also stressed the importance of seeking immediate medical treatment after animal bites and ensuring pets receive proper anti-rabies vaccination. — DayakDaily
