KUCHING: Sarawak may introduce cat licensing as a measure to combat rabies in the state, says Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.
He said the move was in view of recent rabies deaths involving cat bites or scratches.
“When the outbreak started in 2017, the cases mainly involved stray dogs.
“But now, nearly 50% of positive animal cases involve pet dogs. And increasingly, we also have people dying from cat scratches,” he said after opening the Rabies in Borneo conference.
Dr Sim said Sarawak was consulting experts for advice on rabies strategies for cats.
“Meanwhile, we will look into licensing cats, but this requires changes to our law. Our law only specifies licensing dogs.
“It’s not because we want to charge licensing fees (for cats), but we want data on the number of cats,” he said.
According to records from the state Health Department, two out of four rabies deaths this year were due to cat bites or scratches.
Since 2017, there have been a total of 80 rabies-related deaths, of which nine were attributed to cat bites or scratches.
Dr Sim reminded dog and cat owners to get their pets vaccinated against rabies.
Individuals who have been bitten or scratched by animals are advised to cleanse the wound thoroughly with soap and running water for a duration of 10 minutes. It is crucial to seek immediate medical attention following such incidents.
“Rabies is preventable. No one should die from rabies,” he said.
In his speech earlier, Dr Sim said Sarawak aims to achieve zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030.
He said new strategies were being explored to improve monitoring, vaccination coverage and long-term disease control.
