KUCHING: A six-year-old Indonesian girl has died of rabies in Bintulu, marking Sarawak’s second human rabies case for 2025.
Sarawak Health Department (JKN) director Dr Veronica Lugah said the victim, who lived with her family at a plantation, passed away at Bintulu Hospital on Aug 4 after showing advanced symptoms of the disease.
“She began experiencing headaches, fever, neck pain and loss of appetite on July 31.
“On Aug 3, she was admitted to the hospital and later developed hallucinations, hydrophobia, aerophobia and hypersalivation.
“Investigations found that the girl had a history of being bitten by a stray dog outside her home on July 16. The dog was later captured and tested positive for rabies by the Sarawak Veterinary Services Department,” she said.
With this latest case, Dr Veronica pointed out that the state has recorded 85 human rabies cases since the outbreak was declared in July 2017, with 78 deaths, translating to a fatality rate of 91.7 per cent.
Two cases have been reported so far this year, compared to five in the same period in 2024.
“From Jan 1 to Aug 16 this year, Sarawak recorded 12,359 animal bite cases, averaging 374 cases each week.
“Of the total, 7,342 cases or 59.41 per cent involved cat bites or scratches, while 4,864 cases (39.35 per cent) were dog bites and 153 cases (1.24 per cent) involved other animals.
“Further analysis showed that 67.5 per cent (8,342 cases) of these incidents involved pets, whereas 32.5 per cent (4,017 cases) were caused by stray animals.”
Since the rabies outbreak was declared in 2017, Sarawak has reported 65,305 dog bites, 60,550 cat bites or scratches, and 1,903 cases involving other animals.
Dr Veronica reminded that Sarawak is still not free from rabies and stressed the importance of preventive measures.
“Rabies can spread through bites or scratches from infected animals, as well as exposure to their saliva.
“The public are urged to avoid contact with stray dogs and cats, immediately wash any wounds under running water for at least 15 minutes, and seek treatment at the nearest post-bite clinic.”
She also urged pet owners to ensure their pets receive complete annual anti-rabies vaccination and not allow them to roam unsupervised.
Aside from that, parents should constantly remind their children to avoid animals that may carry rabies.
