By Karen Bong
KUCHING, July 25: Pet owners and members of the public have been urged not to let their guard down against rabies after two positive cases were detected in Siburan and Jalan Puncak Borneo this week.
Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said the two cases were among 22 animal samples tested between July 20 and 24, with both involving bite cases.
The first case was detected in Kampung Simpok in Siburan, involving a stray dog, while the second was recorded in Kampung Sinar Baru at Batu 14, Jalan Puncak Borneo, involving a free-roaming pet dog.
Speaking during his ShallWeeTalk live session today, Wee said the latest findings showed that rabies remained present in the community and urged residents to remain vigilant.
“Unfortunately, this week we recorded two positive rabies cases. I hope everyone will be extra careful because rabies cases are still occurring,” he said.
Wee said although the current situation was not at the level of a major outbreak, rabies prevention efforts must continue as Sarawak aims to eliminate the disease by 2030.
“We should not think that 2030 is still far away. The earlier we can stop this disease, the better,” he said.
He also expressed concern over the response to recent rabies vaccination programmes, saying public participation had not been as encouraging as expected.
“We have conducted vaccination programmes, but I feel the response was not as good as we hoped. Everyone should not relax too much because rabies still exists,” he said.
Wee reminded dog owners to bring their pets for vaccination during upcoming vaccination drives, noting that three programmes had already been carried out this year, with two more remaining.
He urged owners not to miss future vaccination opportunities due to time constraints or other reasons, stressing that community cooperation was essential in controlling and eventually eliminating rabies.
“We need everyone’s cooperation. The sooner we can prevent and stop this disease, the better,” he said. — DayakDaily
