THE Sarawak Health Department has declared a “health alert” in the district of Serian, about 67km from Kuching, after three children were reported to have been infected with rabies.

The children, aged between 4 and 7 with two of them siblings, are reported to be “seriously ill” and are in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) in Kuching.

The Health Ministry, which posted the alert on its website, stated they received a report from the state health department on June 29 notifying three viral encephalitis cases at SGH.

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said urine and saliva samples, and skin biopsies of the victims that were sent to the Institute for Medical Research in Kuala Lumpur had tested positive for rabies virus.

The first case was a 4-year-old boy from Kampung Paon, Sungai Rimu.

Dr Noor Hisham said the boy had a fever on June 5, and was sent to the Balai Ringin health clinic – 30km away – that day for outpatient treatment.

He said when his condition did not improve and showed signs of “breathing difficulties, changes in behaviour, became aggressive and had signs of hydrophobia (fear of water)”, he was referred to the Serian district hospital on June 8.

The next day, he was transferred to SGH.

Dr Noor Hisham said the boy was believed to have been bitten by a rabid animal “two to three months” earlier.

The second case was the boy’s 6-year-old sister. She came down with fever on June 12, and first sought treatment at Balai Ringin health clinic two days later.

When she showed the same symptoms as her brother, she was rushed to SGH.

The third case was a 7-year-old girl from Kampung Lebur in Gedong – a district next to Sungai Rimu.

She too initially was treated for fever, but when she had a seizure, she was brought to SGH.

Dr Noor Hisham said it could not be ascertained if the third victim had been bitten by a dog.

Culling an option

Sarawak Local Government and Housing Minister Prof Dr Sim Kui Hian said culling stray dogs in Serian could be an option to contain the spread of the disease.

Dr Sim, who is in charge of the health portfolio in Sarawak, would not say if culling had begun.

However, in a Facebook post, he said the health department, the Sarawak Veterinary Department, the Serian district council, and the Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) “has started to work together immediately to contain rabies in Serian”.

The Health Ministry said it was investigating the cases and would carrying out active and passive identification, as well as issuing alerts to all public and private health facilities in the localities of the district concerned.

Sabah bars transfer of animals 

In Sabah, state authorities have banned the movement and transfer of live animals from Sarawak.

Sabah Deputy Chief Minister cum Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Yahya Hussin has ordered the state Department of Veterinary Services to cancel all import permits and tighten checks at all entry points into Sabah.

“It has come to my attention that three human cases of rabies were diagnosed in Serian, Sarawak, by the Health Ministry.

“I believe that this is the first reported case in East Malaysia, and I am relieved to say that Sabah is still free from rabies,” he said.
Yahya also called on the public to be alert and to report suspicious dog behaviour to the authorities.

In September 2015, a slew of cases involving humans bitten by rabid dogs prompted the Department of Veterinary Services to declare a rabies outbreak Kedah, Penang and Perlis.

This caused public panic as authorities stepped dog culling in a bid to contain the disease. 

However, none of the human victims showed symptoms of the disease, and the outbreak was declared over in November.

Prior to that, it was reported that Malaysia had not reported a single case of rabies in 15 years. – July 1, 2017.