PASIR MAS: Malaysia recorded seven deaths due to rabies as of Oct 12 this year, with six cases in Sarawak and one in Kedah.
Dr Norhaliza Abdul Halim, senior director of the Veterinary Public Health Division at the Veterinary Services Department (DVS), said the victims included a 44-year-old man in Kota Samarahan, Sarawak in February, a 10-year-old boy in Kuching in March and a 31-year-old man from Kubang Pasu, Kedah last month.
She said some of the victims in Sarawak were infected through bites from stray dogs, while the others involved pet dogs.
"In the Kedah case, the victim was identified as having been bitten by a stray dog in August while attempting to feed it. He tested positive for rabies on Sept 26 and died the following day," she told reporters after attending the 2026 Kelantan-level World Rabies Day programme here Thursday (Oct 22).
In this regard, Dr Norhaliza said dog vaccination and neutering efforts needed to be intensified, particularly in states bordering Thailand, including Kelantan, to reduce the risk of the disease spreading.
She said neutering could control dog breeding and in turn, reduce the population of stray animals that could spread rabies, while vaccination helped protect against infection.
Dr Norhaliza said Malaysia recorded 97 rabies cases and 90 deaths from 2017 to Oct 12 this year.
In Kelantan, 42 complaints related to dog bites were recorded, with 38 investigated as of Oct 19. As part of control efforts, 1,459 dogs were vaccinated, while 1,536 stray dogs were culled.
She also advised the public against taking matters into their own hands when dealing with stray dogs, saying that culling should be carried out by the authorities in accordance with the law. - Bernama
